Rochdale v Pompey

[The Cincinnati Kid]

Big game if we want to make da play offs. We could really use an improvement in GD while we are at it.
Also one to watch, Peterboro @ Plymouth and with Charlton and Scunthorpe also away today, a win for the good guys could be most valuable.

[Berkshire Blue]

Donohue in for Haunstrup, otherwise unchanged.

Come on lads - keep the run going!

[Berkshire Blue]

Wow!

3 - 3 was not exactly what we wanted, but it sounds like quite a game with us being behind 3 times.

[The Cincinnati Kid]

Thanks to Matt Done for heading into his own goal in Stoppage time.
Job Done!....bwahahahahaha

On the down side, the 2 teams we can catch have a game in hand and a superior GD.
Still....form is everything at this stage and we sure have that.

[Earl Grey]

Phew! A lucky point keeps us in it.
The Plymouth and Charlton games look daunting if a relegation outfit can give us the run around!

[pompeygunner]

Phew! A lucky point keeps us in it.
The Plymouth and Charlton games look daunting if a relegation outfit can give us the run around!

Or not so daunting considering we've beaten Wigan less than a week ago. Glass half full here.

[Milton End]

Phew! A lucky point keeps us in it.
The Plymouth and Charlton games look daunting if a relegation outfit can give us the run around!

Or not so daunting considering we've beaten Wigan less than a week ago. Glass half full here.

But it didn't seem to be the same team that beat Wigan. We were much slower.

Commentating on BBC Radio Solent, John Durnin remarked part-way through the first half about one of our players (can't remember who): "He missed the tackle and then just walked away. No follow-up. Nothing."

Kenny J was interviewed after the match. He also made the point that we were "off the pace" throughout the game.

Typical Pompey - brilliant one week, poor one week later? Which team will turn up at Plymouth remains to be seen...........

[Pompey Penguin]

BFTG.

At least we got some entertainment for a 400 mile round trip, although there wasn’t a lot of quality on display. Both teams went into the game in pretty good form, but only Rochdale carried that into the match. Some of the Pompey players looked like they were still suffering from their efforts on Monday. Overall, Pompey were poor and didn’t deserve anything from the game; I am sure Rochdale can’t believe that they didn’t win and there will be some finger-pointing at their defenders.

Throughout the game Rochdale found far too much room in midfield, and particularly in the central area between halfway and Pompey’s penalty box. Walkes, Close and Evans, so good on Monday, were all over the place both individually and as a group, and Naismith hardly took part. It reminded me of the game against Shrewsbury (?) where the opposition just dropped off markers and provided options for simple passes, and it all looked so easy.

Having said that, the first half was reasonably evenly bad. Rochdale scored when players made of the most of all the space they were given. They should have been two up when a looping header was going in, but an idiot Rochdale player on the line chested it in from an offside position. Pompey equalised after a good run from Lowe, he went down in the box, no penalty (rightly), but got up and about four defenders just stood and watched as he crossed for Pitman to score. Then Evans thundered a shot against the bar/post, which I thought was going in.

The second half just got worse for Pompey. Rochdale scored two more goals whilst Pompey players decided not to challenge for the ball. Jackett tried to change things with different formations and substitutions, but nothing worked. Amazingly, we contrived to score two more equalisers through just about our only two serious attempts of the half. The Rochdale defence was laughably bad, and you just had to wonder how the game would have gone if we could have got any sort of grip in midfield.

In a week we have outplayed Walsall, looked evenly matched against Wigan and second-best against Rochdale. This is the sort of inconsistency that has plagued the season, and is typical of a good-ish side that is not really good enough for promotion. However, five games to go and we are still in the play-off hunt; just need to go and win at Plymouth!

MOTM. Brett Pitman. Easy choice, two goals and an OG assist, and kept battling away without much to work with. He even set up his own first goal by releasing Lowe whilst lying on the ground. Nobody else contributed very much at all.

[Berkshire Blue]

Thanks for that PP. I wonder if that point will be important at the end of the season.

[RubiconCSL]

Oddly, a late equaliser for us and a late winner for Plymouth. If neither of us had got those late goals, we'd have lost, but be one point better off!

Still, wins at Plymouth and Bradford and who knows. I just worry, that if we somehow did scramble out of this league, that without some serious investment in players, we'd really struggle next season - and I really don't want two embarrassing defeats to the deckchairs next year!

[Earl Grey]

Oddly, a late equaliser for us and a late winner for Plymouth. If neither of us had got those late goals, we'd have lost, but be one point better off!

Still, wins at Plymouth and Bradford and who knows. I just worry, that if we somehow did scramble out of this league, that without some serious investment in players, we'd really struggle next season - and I really don't want two embarrassing defeats to the deckchairs next year!

Yeah....could be a hard season in the Chumps without getting some serious quality into key positions.
Still, one hurdle at a time. It's going to be very competitive just getting into the play-offs.
And even if we do we'll have to eventually deal with one of Wigan, Blackburn or Shrewsbury unless someone else obligingly knocks them out.

[uspompeyfan]

And even if we do we'll have to eventually deal with one of Wigan, Blackburn or Shrewsbury unless someone else obligingly knocks them out.

Wigan - piece of cake.... home win, away draw

[Quantum of Stowmarket]

Thought I'd have a look in and see how the club was doing. Had the BBC League Two table up and saw Portsmouth weren't in it, then realised you must be in League One. Yes feel a bit stupid, but on the verge of the play off places with all to play for.

Fair to say a club like yours should be in at least the top two divisions. Yes there's others in it such as Charlton and Blackburn that have lost their way in recent years but could never get used to seeing Portsmouth in the third tier, it just seems bizarre to see a club like that where they are.

Anyway, best of luck in the remaining games ahead and hope to see you back in the Championship by August.