After two days of panic-inducing weather news, the Lads welcomed Pompey to SR5 and on a damp and cold afternoon that turned to decidedly wet, unpleasant, and very cold, made very hard work of the win. Quite how it was only the one goal is a bit of a puzzle, but not quite as much of a puzzle as the two offside decisions in the second half. Still, a win's a win. Phew.
It's matchday so it must be Saturday, right? Wrong, as usual, but the snow did arrive overnight in Bishop to make the walk to the Tree more of a slide. Let's just say that a fair few pairs of Christmas trainers are now longer pristine. News from Sunderland was of damp but no snow, while it turned to rain in SW Durham.
Any changes from whenever the last game was? No injuries or suspensions, so perhaps if it ain't broke, don't fix it? Likewise with the formation?
Patterson
Hume O'Nien Mepham Alese
Neil (c) Bellingham
Roberts Aouchiche
Mayenda Isidor
Perhaps it'll be set up that way, but on the bench it was...
Moore, Cirkin, Hjelde, Rusyn, Johnson, Connolly, Aleksic, Jones, and Ogunsuyi.
There was a good turnout from Pompey, who pretty quickly went from acceptable away fans to irritating rude words. Foghorn sounded, Twist begun, flags waved, Knights danced, Roar transferred from Roker, and baby we were Ready To Go as the Fools Rushed In. Positivity all round as we defended the North End and Pompey kicked off.
We stuck with two up top, and pretty early Alese pushed up and hit in a cross that went too deep, but Luke pushed up and won a throw up near the South West corner. From that, Roberts was fouled but Adil's free was more fried rice than Declan Rice and it was cleared.
With seven gone, Mayenda ran onto a through ball down the inside right channel and waited for the right moment to cut it into Isidor - and it was 1-0. Gerrin, and a deserved lead for our general positivity.
We won a corner a couple of minutes later when Adil and Alese combined, but the pale blue visitors were starting to get back into things. Mind, their keeper's "go to" business was to fire it high towards Hume and usually over his left side' head(s). Rather than build in that, we sort of allowed bit of possession to Pompey and they won a corner on their left - and for once the ensuing ping-pong went our way and we cleared. We had a corner of our own soon after, but when Roberts hit it back across it was cleared off the line. Should have been our second, really. A loopy Alese header was saved, then Adil cut in and had his shot saved. We thought Mayenda was nailed on for our second but he fell and the chance was gone.
As the half drew to a close a lovely ball from Neil found Isidor on the edge and he put it away, but replays showed he was a yard offside. We still had time for Mayenda to fire into to side netting and we ended the two added minutes ahead - only, somehow, by just by the one.
One change for the second half, with Cirkin on for Alese and Dennis was straight into things, being both pulled and pushed on the edge of the box but being ignored by the ref. Patto then played and awful one out to allow Pompey to cross, but the header was thankfully wide. Too sloppy, Lads, as we seemed to be leaving gaps right across the back. After a yellow for a foot up on Patto as he tried to clear, we broke down the left with Adil, but Issy hit his volley into the turf and over. A Roberts run saw him cut inside only for his deflected shot to be saved, then another yellow came for a shove on Adil. On 64 Luke and Adil combined to set up Jobe but his effort was a foot over, then came what should have sealed the game. Isidor was away through the middle and was rugby tackled 35 out, with a straight red being waved. Adil's free was saved after a pretend injury for their keeper and a double substitution for them.
Isidor and Roberts had shots saved, as did Mayenda but we allowed Pompey to have more of the ball than we should have. Three quick corners didn't bring any reward apart from two impossible offsides, but we really shouldn't have been worrying about an opposition goal at that stage - we should have been out of sight.
The tiring Adil made way for Aleksic on 80, and he kept up the pressure on our left. O9, who'd had a great second half, hit a beaut that was just wide, then Hume had one saved but in the last minute Pompey got a shot through - straight at Patto, and it was their only one on target all day. Aleksic did really well to cut it back to Mayenda but the shot was blocked and he made way for Rusyn halfway through the four added minutes.
Far too close for comfort, but at least we stayed confident throughout. 24 shots, a third of which were on target, shows our attacking intent but it's time we really blew somebody away with that amount of efforts.
Man of the Match? Good afternoon by Adil, sound stuff from Bellingham, good forward play by our front two and lots of clever stuff by Roberts, but I'll give it to Neil for staying calm and keeping us ticking over sensibly whilst others looked like they might get a bit enthusiastic.
I'll take that.
