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My Posh Day: Joe’s error was the catalyst for defeat
Peterborough United and Portsmouth fan Rob Jerram watches Posh’s 3-0 defeat to Pompey:
CURRENT FORM: I’m 30 years old and live in Deeping St James. I was born in Portsmouth but my parents and I moved to Spalding when I was four.
My first ever football match was at London Road in 1992 (Posh 0, WBA 0), shortly followed by my first ever Pompey match at Fratton Park. I’ve been a Posh regular since 1997 and haven’t missed a home game this season.
PRE-MATCH: Posh and Pompey hadn’t played each other in a league match at London Road since a 2-2 draw in October 1993 and I’d been looking forward to it all season.
A call from my Pompey-supporting mum ended with her saying “let’s hope we get the three points” – I’d usually agree but realistically Pompey’s off-pitch survival is far more important and Posh could do with ending their January slump. I’d settle for a thrilling 6-6 draw!
As usual I met best mate and life-long Posh fan Gareth Hennis and his dad Paul at The Ostrich.
This fixture has a lot of history for us – Gareth and I became friends at school after seeing Jimmy Quinn score the winner in a 2-1 league cup victory at Fratton Park on a freezing Tuesday night.
He was congaing around the away end as I sat slumped in the home end. Since then we’ve followed Posh around the country together (and he’s even been to the odd Pompey game!).
We watched the Liverpool v Man Utd cup tie with a pint. Clearly Darren is not the only Ferguson with a soft spot for a dodgy keeper (news had already filtered through that Joe Lewis would be keeping his place despite his abysmal display against Brighton).
Chatting with the various Posh and Pompey fans we all felt it would be a tight game decided by the odd goal. The two sides were only one place and two points apart, Posh’s goals had dried up of late and Pompey had only won once on the road.’
HALF-TIME REPORT: Well, this is awkward. I feel so annoyed but pretty happy all at once! I don’t know if Joe Lewis felt bad for Erik Huseklepp (he scored Posh’s 93rd minute own goal winner at Fratton Park) but it only took the ‘reliable’ stopper five minutes to spill the ball into the Norwegian’s path and effectively end the match.
And as if that wasn’t enough assistance ‘Zak’ fails to properly mark Jason Pearce (who turned Posh down to join Pompey) from a corner and we’re 2-0 down.
Posh’s only effort of note is a Grant McCann strike from distance in the opening stages.
System-wise Tommy Rowe’s not a left -back and keeps getting beaten easily, Joe Newell is off the pace and Ryan Bennett is struggling with Huseklepp’s physical presence and pace. The Posh fan missing a half-time penalty to win £500 on Sky’s ‘Take It Like A Fan’ just about sums it up.
ATMOSPHERE: Pretty dismal. The first goal seemed to drain the life out of the players and the crowd and the performance did nothing to inspire the fans.
Lewis’ error has the terrace singing Paul Jones’ name and, coupled with mocking the half-time penalty taker and suggesting the female presenter shows her chest, it’s the loudest the home end sings all game. As always Pompey’s fans are making a fair bit of noise, but it’s hardly surprising given the ease with which they are winning.
FULL-TIME REPORT: The worst I’ve seen Posh play since Gary Johnson was in charge.
No chances, no cutting edge, very little cohesion and a lack of confidence. 3-0 flattered Posh and while Lewis stopped it from being far worse, his early error was the catalyst for the dismal display – he must be dropped for Burnley away.
Our diamond system has been worked out (hardly surprising as it never changes!) and we can’t keep playing people out of position just to suit the formation. It didn’t look like we’d planned for Portsmouth’s size and pace and the visitors won’t have an easier game this season.
I’ve been positive throughout the campaign and even after this match it’s vital to remember that Pompey have some big-name and big earning players compared with Posh - Benjani and Dave Kitson were among the subs – and they have played at this level and higher for a long time, but we’d have lost to far lesser teams with this display.
George Boyd’s man-of-the-match award can only have been based on the sponsors wanting a picture with him.
I’d love to see him back on the wing because he’s currently a shadow of his former self. For me only Paul Taylor and Craig Alcock came out of the game with a little credit – and perhaps Lee Tomlin for not getting booked!
Finally, the attendance of 7,000-odd (about 1,000 of which were Pompey) was embarrassing.
Presumably the several thousand extra fans that will be at the West Ham game in a fortnight were at home saving for their ticket.
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Weather for Peterborough
Saturday 26 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 11 C to 23 C
Wind Speed: 20 mph
Wind direction: East
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 10 C to 23 C
Wind Speed: 15 mph
Wind direction: East
