2018-19: Southend – Portsmouth 3-3

Close Escape blev det næsten da Pompey smed en sejr efter 0-3 føring og dermed er stimen nu på 6 kampe i streg uden sejr!

Stort set hele sæsonen har Pompey spillet 4-2-3-1, men til dagens kampe, ja så havde Pompey manager skiftet til 4-4-2 til dagens udekamp.

Det betød at de to store angribere Bogle og Hawkins var med fra start, mens Jamal Lowe havde højrekanten. På venstrekanten, der fik Ronan Curtis en tur på bænken, og Solomon-Otabor der er kommet til på lån, fik chancen fra start.

Den centrale midtbane hos Pompey, der skulle vise sig særdeles dominerende hed Ben Close og Bryn Morris.

Det var gæsterne der hurtig tog kontrol om kampen, og Pompey virkede særdeles livlige og opsatte på at få vendt formkrisen, mens Southend havde det svært og ikke imponerede med deres defensive arbejde.

Det var Jamal Lowe der med sine hurtige fødder kom fri på kanten og fik sendt et godt indlæg ind, som Southend ikke fik kontrol på, og så kunne Bryn Morris sparke returbolden hårdt ind, højt oppe i nettet.

 

 

Efter 20 min spillet blev det 0-2, da Southend ikke fik clearet bolden ordentlig, og så kunne Ben Close smaske bolden i nettet med en halvvolley fra kanten af feltet.

 

Da Hawkins stod det rigtige sted i feltet og kunne sætte foden til en enkel scoring til 0-3, ja der var der kun lige spillet en halv time.

Så frem til dette tidspunkt, ja der kan man tale om et Pompeyhold i totalkontrol mod et Southendhold, hvor intet lykkedes for.

Men hjemmeholdet fik en lille livlinje, da de fik smækket bolden ind over til bageste stolpe, hvor Pompey mente bolden var ude til indkast, i stedet fik Simon Fox hovedet på, hvor Matt Clarke ikke så for godt ud i forsvaret.

Pompey havde bolden i målet, men det blev annulleret hvor Pompeyfansene havde mere end svært ved at se Bogle var offside.

Anden halvleg, ja der slap Pompey gaspedalen og lod Southend komme ind i kampen, og selvom hjemmeholdet som sådan ikke havde de store chancer, så pludselig var Pompeys forsvar ikke på plads og Bryn Morris begik et dumt straffe og så stod den pludselig 2-3, og så troede Southend i den grad på det.

Simon Cox var manden med de to første mål for Southend, og han var der igen, da et par gode kombinationer gjorde han var fri i feltet og den bold satte han sikkert til 3-3!

Pompey havde kontrol på kampen, og de slap gæsterne ind, og lod 3 mål blive scoret. Det er er 11 kampe i streg uden et clean sheet til Pompey.

Det var et hårdt slag mod Pompeys ambitioner om direkte oprykning, for det var en kamp de skulle have lukket!

Vigtigt er det dog at Pompey for første gang i mange kampe skabte meget og havde i den grad greb om kampen, altså i den første halve time.

Tirsdag hedder det hjemmekamp mod Bristol Rovers og lørdag den VIGTIGE kamp mod Barnsley hjemme på Fratton Park. Det er to kampe der skal vindes, så enkelt er det.

 

Kommentarer fra Twitter

Burgess played so much better than Clarke today. Deserves credit #Pompey

The level of officiating in the @EFL is beyond a joke #Pompey again it’s costed us

Only Jackett to blame I’m afraid, how can 2 halves be so different, so negative it’s unreal #pompey

I’m usually so positive even in defeat but I feel so let down by that #pompey team & Kenny today. Fully in control at 3-0 up and then just stand off, stop closing down players. Southend were shit at the back and we should have capitalised on that. We have forgotten how to win.

Flat second half costs us, no drive to kill the game off and make a statement, substitutions allowed return to long ball tactics playing into oppositions hands, mountain to climb in chase for top two now #Pompey

Brown out, Hawkins out, Morris out. Donohue in, Pitman in, Naylor in. If we don’t win next Tuesday, play-offs will be gone. Let alone automatics #Pompey

Make no mistake. Southend are a very poor side, on a very poor run. Absolutely gutless from Pompey today for the last hour. Awful. #Pompey

 

Portsmouth manager Kenny Jackett:

 “It’s obviously very disappointing because we were three goals up and in control – we should have seen it out.

“We’ve given a really sloppy one away just before half-time when Cox managed to get the wrong side of Clarke.

“Then after the break we’ve had a really big chance go get a fourth when Omar was sent through on goal.

“But we’ve bundled their forward down unnecessarily for the penalty and Southend’s equaliser was from a bit of quality.

“We’ve lost a few defensive players, with Thompson, Whatmough and Naylor all out. They’re the type who could have helped us to see the game out.

“Now we have to be tough enough to go again and realise the position that we’re in. We’ll be okay for next week because, in football, that’s what you have to do.”

 

Southend manager Chris Powell

“Obviously we wanted to win but after half an hour it was one of the most difficult situations we’ve been in in a long time.

“It was poor defending from us but the players have shown great courage, determination and character.”

“At half-time I believed we could get back into the game because of that goal we got,” said Powell.

“We tried to give them belief at half-time but it was all about the next goal.

“Nathan Bishop made a save just after half-time that was important and I think people might have forgotten about that.”

“Coxy has been great.”

“He’s taken on the mantle of leading by example and he took his goals well.

“But, if you look at it, Portsmouth brought on Curtis, Vaughan and Evans.

“No disrespect but I brought on Wabo, Klass and Hutchinson.

“That’s what we’re up against but they all played their part and I’m really happy for them.”

 

 

League One, Roots Hall, 16. februar

Southend – Portsmouth 3-3 (1-3)

8 min 0-1 Bryn Morris

20 min 0-2 Ben Close

31 min 0-3 Oliver Hawkins

36 min 1-3 Simon Cox

78 min 2-3 Simon Cox (pen)

87 min 3-3 Simon Cox

Pompey (4-4-2): MacGillivray; Walkes, Burgess, Clarke (c), Brown; Lowe (Vaughan 88), Morris, Close, Solomon-Otabor (Curtis 71); Hawkins, Bogle (Evans 75)

Gule kort: Walkes, Vaughan

Bænken: Bass, Casey, Haunstrup, May, Curtis, Evans, Vaughan

Tilskuere: 7,300 (1,239 Pompey fans)