BFTG

[PakefieldBlue]

On the basis that being exiled in East Anglia I don't get to many live games, I'm happy to kick off this thread.

First thing to say is that the attendance of 6,200 Pompey fans for a game with nothing riding on it just goes to show that our supporters are fantastic. Even if we'd lost 1-0 (as was looking likely), I have no doubt that they'd all do the trip again next week simply because that's what it means to be a fan. I love away days.

I'd imagine that the ground and surrounding set up (retail, food outlets, cinema) is exactly what the Eisners would love in an ideal world. I quite liked the ground to be honest, shame that it'll take the club 50 years to build any kind of support!

Onto the game. We had the better of the first 20 mins, most attacks coming down the left through Kennedy and Donohue. Whilst we had shots they lacked conviction and generally it felt like we were lacking the confidence to really go for it. MK did look dangerous on the break and threatened a couple of times before scoring.

KJ took the bold move of taking off Ronan and Kennedy at half-time, bringing on Lowe and Chaplin to go 4-4-2. This was exactly the right move in my opinion, although I'd have taken off Evans instead of Kennedy. This gave us more pace up front and more threat - but we still huffed and puffed and looked very vulnerable to conceding a second. It took a number of excellent saves from McGee to keep us in it - he definitely doesn't have the hump from being benched last week, our MOTM.

At about 80 mins my 12 year old son asked if we were staying until the end - he got short shrift from me! Why make all the effort to go to a game then leave early! I took much pleasure all the way home telling him "that's why we never leave early"! It was hard to see exactly how the goals went in from our end, but despite wasting hundreds of corners we finally got success at one and Clarke did the business. This gave us the belief to push on for the second and the script was written for Chaplin to scrambled the 93rd winner in, you could see how much it meant to him.

A few conclusions:
- The Pitman dilemma. With his experience and goal scoring record he needs to be on the pitch, but he's too slow to play No.9 and not creative enough to play No.10. I think we need to play 4-4-2 to accommodate him (seemed to work 2nd half today).
- Clarke is outstanding. He just oozes class, never in a flap, worth millions. Give him a new contract with a release clause of at least £5 million. He'll be off in the summer but no-one should hold that against him.
- Team just looked low in confidence, maybe from a rough January and loads of injuries. Hopefully the nature of this win will give them a fresh spark.

My player ratings:
McGee = 9, kept us in it, MOM
Walkes = 7, steady game
Clarke = 9, outstanding
Hawkins = 7, did well out of position
Donohue = 7, good attacking threat
Thompson = 8, gave some bite
Close = 7, tidy
Evans = 6, slow and movement off the ball was shocking
Ronan = 7, look clever on the ball, sacrificed for change of system
Kennedy = 7, unlucky to be subbed
Pitman = 6, slow and infective today
Lowe = 7, brought more energy
Chaplin = 7, never gave up

Jackett = 7, bold half time change helped but there's a spark that needs to be found in team. I do like the fact that he's building a young team, if we're still in the hunt for play offs with five games to go then I think that's a good season. In fact, if we had 3 or 4 seasons of being in play offs / auto contention then I reckon that'd be fun!

[BlueinPLtwenty]

Thanks PB

[eltorrro]

Thx PLblue20, good report.
I watched live on IFollow (without commentary just to make it more lifelike!) and I would pretty much agree with your call. Couple of things I noted: Walkes very much at fault for their goal - he was way too far upfield and lost his marker. The guy had acres of space. We are still all over the place with set pieces and but for some woeful finishing we could/should have been 3 down quite easily. Thought McGee had a great game - did you notice how he really derided our defence on one of those occasions they 'went awol' from a free kick, the ball going right through and just missing the far post. I also thought Hawkins had a really good game and some of his tackles were really hard, Norman Hunter like!! Thought Ronan was a bit off colour, quite a few miss placed passes and not really up for it.

Overall a really good gutsy win but please, let's not get promoted this year!!

[Pompey Penguin]

Was there something wrong with Evans? For all his faults, especially some woeful crossing, "slow" is the one thing he definitely isn't. I wonder if he was a bit off colour, in which case Jackett should have taken him off instead of Kennedy.

[PakefieldBlue]

Was there something wrong with Evans? For all his faults, especially some woeful crossing, "slow" is the one thing he definitely isn't. I wonder if he was a bit off colour, in which case Jackett should have taken him off instead of Kennedy.

Maybe that was the case with Evans. I was watching him off the ball and he was not making runs for his full back or being particularly creative. Everyone has one of those games I guess!

[RubiconCSL]

Thanks PB. Did you say 6,200 Pompey fans?!?

[Lost in Transportation]

Thanks PB. Did you say 6,200 Pompey fans?!?

6,257 including Burgess and O'Keefe in the away end.

[RubiconCSL]

That is pretty damned impressive, especially for L1.

Thanks PB. Did you say 6,200 Pompey fans?!?

6,257 including Burgess and O'Keefe in the away end.

[Selsey Bill]

That was one of those games where we deserved absolutely nothing. I was there and the last 10 minutes was right up there for away day atmospheres, but the result papers over the cracks of what was a pretty woeful display. McGee made a fantastic save after about 60 minutes and one of my sons turned to me (he is a GK) and said that is a potential turning point in the game Dad. How right he was. McGee was MOTM for me, though Matt Clarke was the best player on the pitch. He will go in the summer, but good luck to the lad - good enough to play in the upper echelons of the Championship, if not the prem. I thought Evans had an absolute shocker yesterday and should have been replaced at half time. For me, Connor Ronan was or best player in the first half so not quite sure I agree with some of the earlier comments about him. Anton Walkes was definitely at fault for their goal, though I do think he has a lot of potential. Donohue yet again was the provider, his sublime cross from a short corner led to our equaliser, a great header from Matt Clarke on his 100th appearance for us. Finally, Conor Chaplin's scrappy winner obviously meant a great deal to him as he ran the length of the pitch to celebrate with our fans. BTW, it was total carnage when he scored. One of those great Pompey away day moments.

[Earl Grey]

Thanks to Pakefield Blue for the BFTG report...and other contributors for additional info.
I'm still curious as to how those stats are so positive for Pompey and yet everyone who went seems to say we were awful!
.

[PakefieldBlue]

To be honest Earl Grey - I don't remember 24 shots but most of them were weak and it never felt like we were going to score. 9 corners but we threatened nothing from them.

The objective stats show one story but subjectively it just didn't feel that we were going to win.

[Milton End]

Thanks for all the reports and comments.

Thanks also to Locky and others who, if I recall correctly, did a BFTG for the previous game.

The long posts must take considerable time to write. But they are always interesting and informative. For various reasons, I normally have to listen on the radio. This only gives a partial report of each match. So many thanks for all the comments - either long or short. They always help.

[Berkshire Blue]

Thanks for all the feedback.

Seeing Donohue's good crossing mentioned above, I think that he is growing into the left back role nicely, and is starting to remind me a bit of Ian Harte, who iirc delivered terrific left foot crosses right through his long career, and also scored from quite a few free kicks. Let's hope that Donohue keeps improving.