21st March - Big Night for Pompey

[Jack_Tinn]

The team that worries me most to overtake Pompey for the 3rd automatic promotion position is Luton.

Tonight they were playing their game in hand at Newport. If Luton had won they would be just 3pts behind and Luton have a fairly generous run in. With Hylton up front for them and in form I think they pose a grave danger to automatic promotion for Pompey. Also Luton's goal difference is close to Pompey's so if they had won tonight handsomely that 3pt gap would be closed such that Luton would in all likelihood go above Pompey on goal difference!

It didn't start well with Luton, and Hylton scoring in the first 5 mins. However, the game ended 1-1 and Hylton was substituted at half time so I suspected he picked up an injury. Why else would you sub your top goalscorer at halftime in a most win game?

So Luton remain 5 points behind with 8 to play. If Hylton is out injured for any period of time you'd think that would be a big problem for Luton.

As the cherry on the cake Newport had a midweek game obviously before playing Pompey on Saturday and had their centre half sent off too - so he misses the game vs Pompey

The season turns on small events sometimes and I suspect that tonight is a significant moment in Pompey's favour

[RubiconCSL]

Well for quite some time now, my worry has been Stevenage doing a Bristol Rovers. Luton seem to have peaked already for me. I'm still a little worried about Stevenage though.

[Jack_Tinn]

I can see why you are saying that. After last night both Stevenage and Luton are 4 and 5 points back.

We have a 13 goal difference advantage on Stevenage so those 4 pts are closer to 5 pts (2-3 games) to overhaul Pompey whereas a win last night for Luton would have put them 1 game back.

Win this weekend and score a few goals hopefully to aid the goal difference and we are very much in the box seat for automatic

[Pompey Penguin]

I think last night will be a psychological blow to Luton as much as the loss of points. Drawing a game when they were ahead, against a team in the bottom two and losing their top striker is all adding to the feeling in Luton that they just can't win at the moment. Not on a Carlisle scale of falling off a cliff, but enough to get them into a frame of mind where supporters are more worried about failing to make the play-offs than they are about catching Pompey & Stevenage.

I said a few weeks back that I thought the last automatic place would be between Pompey, Luton and Carlisle, and have been amazed that Stevenage have continued to maintain their excellent form. I admit that until I saw Stevenage on Saturday, I didn't realise how many players they have who must be on significant wages and they are a better first XI than I thought. Stevenage's games all look winnable, but Pompey have the 4 pts + GD in their favour, and I expect it to be nip and tuck to the end of the season. I am still scared that we are going to go into the last game having to beat Cheltenham at home; a Pompey cock-up scenario if ever there was one!

[Pompey Gary]

. I am still scared that we are going to go into the last game having to beat Cheltenham at home; a Pompey cock-up scenario if ever there was one!

Perhaps my memory fails me but when it comes to these everything on the line last game of the season scenarios Pompey always seem to prevail?

[This Time Next Year]

. I am still scared that we are going to go into the last game having to beat Cheltenham at home; a Pompey cock-up scenario if ever there was one!

Perhaps my memory fails me but when it comes to these everything on the line last game of the season scenarios Pompey always seem to prevail?

Wasn't automatic promotion on the line at the end of the 1992/93 season home game? - how did that one work out..?

[Pompey Gary]

. I am still scared that we are going to go into the last game having to beat Cheltenham at home; a Pompey cock-up scenario if ever there was one!

Perhaps my memory fails me but when it comes to these everything on the line last game of the season scenarios Pompey always seem to prevail?

Wasn't automatic promotion on the line at the end of the 1992/93 season home game? - how did that one work out..?

Granted it didn’t go our way that day in terms of West Ham and Newcastle both winning (as did Pompey) but the actual cock up was made up at Roker Park – the penultimate game.

[Pompey Penguin]

. I am still scared that we are going to go into the last game having to beat Cheltenham at home; a Pompey cock-up scenario if ever there was one!

Perhaps my memory fails me but when it comes to these everything on the line last game of the season scenarios Pompey always seem to prevail?

You're probably right; at both ends of the table we have prevailed especially when it has been in our hands. I just don't think my nerves can take it any more!

[Pompey Penguin]

BTW. A colleague at work has just pointed out that if Luton lose on Saturday (away to Colchester), Carlisle, Exeter and Blackpool (all at home and winnable) could overtake them, and Luton would be out of the play-offs. The mood is very pessimistic.

[This Time Next Year]

. I am still scared that we are going to go into the last game having to beat Cheltenham at home; a Pompey cock-up scenario if ever there was one!

Perhaps my memory fails me but when it comes to these everything on the line last game of the season scenarios Pompey always seem to prevail?

Wasn't automatic promotion on the line at the end of the 1992/93 season home game? - how did that one work out..?

Granted it didn’t go our way that day in terms of West Ham and Newcastle both winning (as did Pompey) but the actual cock up was made up at Roker Park – the penultimate game.

I was 8 at the time, so memory not great on the details. Do remember leaving the game disappointed and frustrated though. For some reason I always thought we'd lost that day...

[Pompey Gary]

I was 8 at the time, so memory not great on the details. Do remember leaving the game disappointed and frustrated though. For some reason I always thought we'd lost that day...

I think everyone felt the same. After such an amazing run, winning game after game for about 3 months, it was a crushing disappointment. And it only got worse when Leicester knocked us out of the play-offs.

The Cheltenham players will mentally be on the beach. We'll beat 'em!

[RubiconCSL]

I think that was the season I went to watch us away at Bristol Rovers. I don't think I've ever seen a more one-sided game in my life and somehow we came away with only 2-1 victory - we really should have scored a shed full. I also think that was the season that instead of goal difference, it was goals scored and we were pipped by West Ham having scored one more goal than us. I've always looked at that match as being the breaker. But probably only because I was there.

Over a season, there are always plenty of games that one can look at as the one that got away. Well, there are plenty when you support Pompey anyway

. I am still scared that we are going to go into the last game having to beat Cheltenham at home; a Pompey cock-up scenario if ever there was one!

Perhaps my memory fails me but when it comes to these everything on the line last game of the season scenarios Pompey always seem to prevail?

Wasn't automatic promotion on the line at the end of the 1992/93 season home game? - how did that one work out..?

Granted it didn’t go our way that day in terms of West Ham and Newcastle both winning (as did Pompey) but the actual cock up was made up at Roker Park – the penultimate game.

[Pompey Gary]

Over a season, there are always plenty of games that one can look at as the one that got away.

The 5-5 draw at Oxford immediately springs to mind for that season though. Pompey were winning 5-3 after 90 minutes!

[RubiconCSL]

Just looking at the results and losing home and away to West Ham didn't help! So maybe they did just deserve it, but losing to Leicester was not deserved over the season as a whole.

I don't like play-offs, never have. I can't see the reason of them (other than money) when the whole idea of a league is how you do against every team, home and away over a whole season. It's like a marathon, where Gold and Silver get awarded and then the runners in the next 4 places have to do a 100m sprint to decide on the Silver, when someone has already come in third.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1992%E2%8 ... .C._season

[Pompey Gary]

Just looking at the results and losing home and away to West Ham didn't help! So maybe they did just deserve it, but losing to Leicester was not deserved over the season as a whole.

I don't like play-offs, never have. I can't see the reason of them (other than money) when the whole idea of a league is how you do against every team, home and away over a whole season. It's like a marathon, where Gold and Silver get awarded and then the runners in the next 4 places have to do a 100m sprint to decide on the Silver, when someone has already come in third.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1992%E2%8 ... .C._season

As West Ham had better goal difference, Pompey would have needed a 4-1 win on the final day to go up automatically.

I used to hate play-offs but on reflection I think the league is better for them as it keeps the season alive for longer for more teams. Without them there'd be a lot more pointless fixtures in the last 2-3 months of a season. Everyone knows the rules from the off. But perhaps they could restructure them and give an advantage to the higher placed team? Personally I liked it when they included a side from the division above who were playing for their survival but they stopped doing that only after a few seasons.