Når statistik betyder mere end formen.
Uafgjort hjemme mod Fleetwood Town betød det første pointtab siden Blackpool-kampen, og selv om resultatet var utilfredsstillende var det et eller andet sted ikke overraskende. Desværre betød det at vores position i toppen af tabellen ser lidt mindre overbevisende ud med blot 7 points ned til tredjepladsen nu, hvor Bolton stadig har en kamp i baghånden.
Ser vi bort fra EFL Trophy kampen var der bare en enkelt ændring i startelleveren siden 3-0 sejren i Shrewsbury. Den skete i front, hvor en nu helt frisk Colby Bishop overtog pladsen fra Kusini Yengi.
Den officielle kamprapport
Eftertanken
Nogle gange er fodbold bare et sælsomt spil. Et kig på de to holds form burde indikere en forholdsvis let sejr mod Fleetwood, hvis det altså ikke var fordi at de to hold plejer at dele i porten på Fratton Park. Så selvfølgelig blev det sådan igen. Det var selvfølgelig et spørgsmål om tid før vi igen smed points, og lukkede et mål ind for den sags skyld, og efter fire sejre i træk er en remis selvfølgelig ikke en katastrofe. Derfor er det vigtigste nu hvordan vi reagerer i den næste kamp ude mod Bristol Rovers.
Will Norris så ikke alt for overbevisende ud ved udligningen, og efterfølgende har der været en generel kritik af ham, men er den fair? I mine øjne har han været os en god sidste skanse, og har i en håndfuld kampe sikret os sejren med vigtige redninger, men spillere huskes altid bedst for deres seneste kamp. Under alle omstændigheder bør hans position ikke være i fare, for heller ikke Schofield så sikker ud i sidste tirsdags pokalexit mod AFC Wimbledon, der som bekendt satte hele fem scoringer ind mod ham. Ender det med oprykning til The Championship ligger det til gengæld i luften, at vi nok har brug for en mere rutineret bagerste mand på det niveau end Norris.
Et hurtigt liga-overblik
Som nævnt så betød de to tabte points at vores forspring i toppen skrumpede ind da de tre nærmeste forfølgere alle vandt. Derby sejrede 3-1 mod Lincoln, Bolton 3-2 mod Orient i en kamp hvor de ret hurtigt var foran med 3-0 men løsnede tøjlerne til sidst, og Peterborough 2-1 hos Shrewsbury. I en duel mellem to play-off kandidater slog Barnsley Stevenage med 2-1 mens Oxford til gengæld tabte et lille skridt ved at tabe 1-2 hos Northampton.
I bunden fik Cheltenham tre uhyre vigtige points med et 1-0 sejr hos Carlisle, der også ligger under stregen, men de er stadig tabeljumbo, dog kun med tre points op til redning nu, hvilket reelt er flot efter deres katastrofale sæsonstart. Også Reading fik nyt liv under stregen ved at slå Wigan med 2-0.
Kommentarer fra head coach John Mousinho
“We largely controlled the game in the first half and just about deserved to go in 1-0 up at the break. The were some good opportunities and every time we broke forward with purpose, we looked a real threat, albeit without having that quality in the final third. But then we came out for the second half and were dreadful for 20 minutes. We were on the back foot and looked awful. We didn’t pick up any second balls, the passing was sloppy, our crossing was pretty abysmal and we got punished for that, which is what we deserved. There was a lot of pressure applied by us after their equaliser went in, but we still looked a bit vulnerable on the counter-attack. Overall, I thought it was really disappointing and it’s difficult to put my finger on why that was the case. Fleetwood came here with a plan and were defensively organised, but I don’t know why we were as poor as we were after the break. I don’t think that performance happens if the lads’ mentality is right and it’s not something we should accept as a football club. I know we’re better than that. I watch these players perform day in, day out and we’ve all seen what they can do this season, but that was lacking and it’s incredibly frustrating.”
Et par ord fra Jack Sparkes
“It’s disappointing because of the quality we’ve got in the squad and the position we are in the table. We could have made it a lot easier for ourselves, so we’ve got to pick ourselves up and be ready for Boxing Day. We were sloppy in the first 20 minutes or so of the second half and became a bit too open for our liking. That was after we had been on top in the first half and got the lead, so I can’t put my finger on why that changed. It’s tough when a team is sitting in, but you have to find a way to break them down and on another day we’d do that. There are a lot of things for us to work on when we’re back in training on Sunday as we look to bounce back.”
League One, Fratton Park, 23. december 2023
Portsmouth – Fleetwood Town 1-1 (1-0)
45. minut: 1-0 Colby Bishop (straffespark)
63. minut: 1-1 Josh Earl
Opstillingen (4-2-3-1): Norris; Rafferty, Raggett, Shaughnessy, Sparkes; Morrell, Pack (anfører); Kamara (Scully ‘85), Robertson (Saydee ‘63), Lane (Whyte ‘77); Bishop
På bænken: Schofield, Towler, Devlin, Yengi, Scully, Saydee og Whyte
Advarsler: Saydee, Scully og Sparkes
Udvisning: Ingen
Tilskuere: 18.412, hvoraf 94 var medrejsende Fleetwood supportere
Interview efter kampen med John Mousinho
Kampens Højdepunkter
