Meldrum's verdict: Cherries 2 Portsmouth 0 (From Thisisdorset)
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Meldrum's verdict: Cherries 2 Portsmouth 0
8:52pm Sunday 10th February 2013 in Latest Sport
By Neil Meldrum
MARKSMAN: Marc Pugh scored Cherries second goal on Saturday
JEFF Mostyn’s smile flashed through the tunnel as the Press concluded their post-match interviews here.
He hasn’t always smiled. Almost five years ago to the day of this match, Mostyn reluctantly put Cherries into administration. It was February 7, 2008 for those whose memories of more unsettled times have been washed away by waves of delight.
That same week, Premier League Portsmouth beat Bolton 1-0 at the Reebok Stadium. The week before, they drew 1-1 with Chelsea at Fratton Park. They won the FA Cup that year, too, while Cherries were relegated to League Two.
Don’t things change quickly in football?
Mostyn, thoughtful and respectful, wished two members of Guy Whittingham’s back room team well. He knows how they feel. He knows how the supporters feel, too, as cautious as they are not to affirm any kind of despondency towards the sorrowful plight of their club.
Deep down, they will be hurting. FA Cup winners to the foot of League One can only be thinly masked by cries of ‘How s*** must you be, you still haven’t scored’ after only nine minutes.
They didn’t stop there, though. Several hundred remained long after the final whistle, chorusing until the fluorescent jackets closed in.
There is a commendable backs against the wall mentality radi ating from Fratton Park, laced with good humour in the face of adversity. But it is not enough and Portsmouth will almost certainly be relegated. If they even survive at all.
Cherries fans, like Mostyn, will sympathise for a time, but life at the other end of the table will dictate that their attentions move swiftly closer to home.
If last weekend’s win over MK Dons was a triumph of self-discipline and class in the face of provocation, then this victory was one laden with patience and a clear refusal to panic.
Portsmouth made life difficult. They sat deep, were focused on choking Cherries’ attempts to play and showed laudable concentration despite hardly any meaningful time with the ball to feet.
Lewis Grabban headed wide and Harry Arter saw a well-struck drive charged down during a largely drab first half. Therry Racon blazed a shot over the crossbar at the other end, while Grabban was unlucky to find himself at a tight angle when missing the target following Brett Pitman’s clever ball over the top.
Cherries’ best chance to convert their possession into a goal came when Pitman headed on to the crossbar as half-time loomed.
Portsmouth were more progressive after the break. Cherries passed and moved with succinct and distinguished accuracy as they had done in the second half at stadium:mk. It was, in spells, a joy to watch.
Shwan Jalal charged from his goal-line to reach the ball before Patrick Agyemang, while the debutant should have found the target from Yassin Moutaouakil’s cross, but headed wide.
Jalal pushed Dan Butler’s rising effort over the crossbar and Cherries finally took the lead shortly afterwards.
Josh McQuoid’s cross found Grabban, who twisted and turned to open up enough space to shoot into the bottom left corner on 65 minutes. Portsmouth’s Andy Awford berated the referee’s assistant from the technical area in front of the main stand, suggesting McQuoid had handled in the build-up.
The benefit of DVD footage had downgraded that accusation to “unclear” by the time Whittingham had joined the media pitch-side.
Still the away section pulsated and throbbed with noise but, 12 minutes later, it was 2-0 when Pugh confidently side-footed the ball past Simon Eastwood from Pitman’s assist.
Whittingham defended his side’s stifling game plan, insisting trying to outplay Howe’s side would have been foolhardy. How many more sides will visit Dean Court between now and April with the same agenda? It is likely there will be several.
How many will succeed is a wholly different matter.
MATCH STATS
Cherries: (4-4-2) Jalal 8; Francis 7.5, Cook 8, Seaborne 8, Ritchie 8.5*; McQuoid 8, Arter 7.5 (Hughes, 83), O’Kane 8, Pugh 8; Grabban 8 (Tubbs, 82), Pitman 7.5 (MacDonald, 90).
Unused subs: Fletcher, Partington, Fogden, Allsop (g/k).
Pompey: (4-4-2) Eastwood; Moutaoakil, Gypes, Rocha, Butler; Reed, Cooper (Walker, 82), Ertl, Racon (Wallace, 69); Agyemang (Keene, 65), Akinde.
Unused subs: Sodje, Harris, Webster, Smith (g/k).
Booked: Butler, Reed.
Referee: Andre Marriner (West Midlands).
Attendance: 9,135 (1,338 away fans).
STAR MAN
Matt Ritchie
Ritchie is fast earning rave reviews as a full-back, having impressed at MK Dons and again on Saturday.
Composed and classy in defence, Ritchie also worked well with Marc Pugh down the left and both men were a thorn in the side of Pompey right-back Yassin Moutaoakil.
Ritchie will almost certainly be redeployed in his favoured position on the wing once either Charlie Daniels is fit or Eddie Howe has sourced a suitable short-term replacement at left-back but, for now, he is proving a reliable and influential stand-in.
A mention should also go to rock solid central pairing Dan Seaborne and Steve Cook. Both dealt superbly with the physical threat of John Akinde and Patrick Agyemang. Cook, in particular and wearing the captain’s armband, was a tower of strength.
Comments(20)
abc100
says...
9:34pm Sun 10 Feb 13
Strawbs_78 wrote:Was that when they beat us 1-0 at dean court or the 1-1 draw at villa park, I was 12 that season and remember both games well especially at villa. Also being at the back of the south end when loads of villa fans stormed in and a lad I was with got his arm broken, he lived off that for years at school
A fair assessment of yesterday's game. Some very generous player ratings however, especially for mcquoid, i thought he was the weak link yesterday. Would prefer him to be fighting for one of the central striker roles, he's not a winger and clearly doesnt feel comfortable out there. That one moan aside, i just can't get my head around the fact that we might actually get promoted. Next month will be 25 yrs since my mum took me to my first cherries game against aston villa. Right now im having to pinch myself!
abc100
says...
9:39pm Sun 10 Feb 13
abc100 wrote:Sorry think they beat us 2-1 at dean court
Strawbs_78 wrote:Was that when they beat us 1-0 at dean court or the 1-1 draw at villa park, I was 12 that season and remember both games well especially at villa. Also being at the back of the south end when loads of villa fans stormed in and a lad I was with got his arm broken, he lived off that for years at school
A fair assessment of yesterday's game. Some very generous player ratings however, especially for mcquoid, i thought he was the weak link yesterday. Would prefer him to be fighting for one of the central striker roles, he's not a winger and clearly doesnt feel comfortable out there. That one moan aside, i just can't get my head around the fact that we might actually get promoted. Next month will be 25 yrs since my mum took me to my first cherries game against aston villa. Right now im having to pinch myself!
oxoncherry2
says...
9:52pm Sun 10 Feb 13
big_afcb_fan
says...
11:00pm Sun 10 Feb 13
jakeysredd
says...
11:09pm Sun 10 Feb 13
big_afcb_fan
says...
11:18pm Sun 10 Feb 13
er.com/football/engl
ish/league-1/promoti
on
we are favourites to go up!
let football be the winner
says...
8:33am Mon 11 Feb 13
jontee
says...
9:05am Mon 11 Feb 13
let football be the winner wrote:Totally agree, apart from comments about Pitman.
Where do you pluck these player scores from, 2 0 win, good win, however some of the football was back to the Groves era, if you take 10 minutes to reach the oppositions half then off course they will have 11 people behind the ball, to give them all more than 5's is a bit much. we all appreciate that some teams like the Skates will come here and not play much football but I dont think we tried that much. Pitman has bought nothing the team and nothing again this weekend. It is surprising how EH will not give some people a chance but others he will stick with. still a Sub novice
.
When you have the ball you attack, if not you defend. Pompey didn't get much ball, and you are spot on about the 'Groves' quality of play.
.
Pitman is a proven scorer. He was unlucky with the header and set up the 2nd goal. But agree with what you say about EH's slant on certain players.
DorsetBlues
says...
9:30am Mon 11 Feb 13
er and Hartlepool, so next season is make or break for this proper club with so much history and passion, oh well bring on Div 2 if we make it for next year otherwise you will lose a great club who you hopefully respect on the South Coast. PUP
Piston_Broke
says...
9:58am Mon 11 Feb 13
DorsetBlues wrote:The trouble with history is just that. It's history, as in all in the past. Things change, you know. We used to have the largest Navy in the world, and an Empire to outsource all the materials a civilised race needs to flourish.
Against the run of play for the first goal as Pompey had there best spell of the match at that point and typical defensive error let in that weird looking striker with the stupid beard but as you know that isn't a Pompey team and Bashley could get three points from the collection of misfits and youth that have wearing the proud Royal Blue this season,As for a derby match no sorry we are not rivals never have never will be,you are just on par with Aldershots and Oxfords where it's not far to travel but with no hatred towards your club but unfortunately we are sliding down the leagues through bad management and greed and I fear for other clubs who want to compete in the Premier League with low crowds. 20000 but we stayed there for seven years,reached two FA Cup finals. appeared in Europe and 5 Wembley appearances where we only conceded one goal(a Drogba free kick) but no we are losing to the likes of Bournemouth,Colchest
er and Hartlepool, so next season is make or break for this proper club with so much history and passion, oh well bring on Div 2 if we make it for next year otherwise you will lose a great club who you hopefully respect on the South Coast. PUP
As all AFCB fans know, mis-management of a football club endangers the very existence of the club itself. In the past, we've experienced it first hand.
We know Pompey had some good times, and not too long ago, but the club was being run in an unsustainable fashion, with too much dependence on big financial backing from individuals who could cut and run at any time, and in your case, Gaydamak did exactly that and left you up the creek without a paddle. From how I see it now, whilst Pompey fans may not feel that the FL have helped you in this plight, they are at least ensuring that your proud club, with all its history, is finally ridded of the Portpin cancer which has brought the club to its knees. The FL have made it clear that the only bidder who will receive the Golden Share is the PST, hopefully putting Chainrai and his cronies out of the game once and for all, so now is your time to back the bid, and get your hand in your pocket to help save your club. Have you pledged yet, or formed a group to do so, or are you going to not bother and hope others do it for you? If, and its a big if, the supporters of PFC do pull this off, well that will truly be something to put into your history for others to be impressed by. Buying the FA Cup in 2008 with money you didn't have (whilst failing to pay staff, charities, schools etc.etc) impressed no-one. And as for Lewis Grabban's religious persuasion, well that's up to him. It's not likely to make a career in pro football any easier for him, but it was his choice, his belief, and his life, so suggest you let that one go.
Strawbs_78
says...
10:41am Mon 11 Feb 13
In reply to abc100 it was the game at dean court, I was only nine but I'm pretty sure Villa won 2-1. I don't remember any details of the game, I just remember my that my Mum got far more into it than I did!! She used to have a thing for Denny Mundee in the late 80's, early 90's. She was most upset when he went to Brentford. Weird how these things stick in your mind!!
coops1965
says...
11:27am Mon 11 Feb 13
DorsetBlues wrote:regarding your attitude towards everything really it would appear that you and most Pompey fans that I have met are stuck in a time warp, just like your stadium.
Against the run of play for the first goal as Pompey had there best spell of the match at that point and typical defensive error let in that weird looking striker with the stupid beard but as you know that isn't a Pompey team and Bashley could get three points from the collection of misfits and youth that have wearing the proud Royal Blue this season,As for a derby match no sorry we are not rivals never have never will be,you are just on par with Aldershots and Oxfords where it's not far to travel but with no hatred towards your club but unfortunately we are sliding down the leagues through bad management and greed and I fear for other clubs who want to compete in the Premier League with low crowds. 20000 but we stayed there for seven years,reached two FA Cup finals. appeared in Europe and 5 Wembley appearances where we only conceded one goal(a Drogba free kick) but no we are losing to the likes of Bournemouth,Colchest
er and Hartlepool, so next season is make or break for this proper club with so much history and passion, oh well bring on Div 2 if we make it for next year otherwise you will lose a great club who you hopefully respect on the South Coast. PUP
Oh how the tide has turned, you are bitter and p*****d off I can see that but please don't insult my intelligence by trying to say that you were unlucky, that was the worst team at Dean Court this season and you were well beaten.
Piston_Broke
says...
11:31am Mon 11 Feb 13
Strawbs_78 wrote:March 5th 1988, and yes, Villa won 2-1. The game at Villa Park was the day after the great storm of October '87. Ten days later, on October 27th, we made our (so far) one and only visit to Arsenal. It was a mighty fine season!
Hi. I'm probably going to appear a bit thick asking this, I'm not i'm just a technofobe!!! But how do I write a reply to another post so that the other post appears above mine? Presumably you press the quote button but that doesn't seem to be working? Help!
In reply to abc100 it was the game at dean court, I was only nine but I'm pretty sure Villa won 2-1. I don't remember any details of the game, I just remember my that my Mum got far more into it than I did!! She used to have a thing for Denny Mundee in the late 80's, early 90's. She was most upset when he went to Brentford. Weird how these things stick in your mind!!
Strawbs_78
says...
12:31pm Mon 11 Feb 13
Piston_Broke wrote:Yep. Remember it well, my birthday's 16th October so I had a bonus day off school because of the storm!
Strawbs_78 wrote: Hi. I'm probably going to appear a bit thick asking this, I'm not i'm just a technofobe!!! But how do I write a reply to another post so that the other post appears above mine? Presumably you press the quote button but that doesn't seem to be working? Help! In reply to abc100 it was the game at dean court, I was only nine but I'm pretty sure Villa won 2-1. I don't remember any details of the game, I just remember my that my Mum got far more into it than I did!! She used to have a thing for Denny Mundee in the late 80's, early 90's. She was most upset when he went to Brentford. Weird how these things stick in your mind!!March 5th 1988, and yes, Villa won 2-1. The game at Villa Park was the day after the great storm of October '87. Ten days later, on October 27th, we made our (so far) one and only visit to Arsenal. It was a mighty fine season!
88-89 was when I really started to become obsessed, that was a great season and we had a quality team. I remember we struggled until Blissett joined and then we flew up the table, we were comfortably in the play-offs and then fell away badly at the end.
SUFFERINGBJ
says...
12:34pm Mon 11 Feb 13
Its now and the future we should be looking at and enjoying!
I agree Pitman is not quite up to it, he isnt quick enough and sometimes , especially with all our wing play a slightly taller bulkier forward would benefit us.
Strawbs_78
says...
1:37pm Mon 11 Feb 13
SUFFERINGBJ wrote:Ha ha, spoil sport...There's no harm in reminiscing! I agree though, now is what matters. Pitman was poor on Saturday (apart from the assist for the second goal), however, his goalscoring record makes him virtually impossible to drop. The likelihood is that with Pugh and (eventually) Richie on the wing we'll be getting more and more crosses into the box, so maybe a taller striker to partner Grabban is a good shout. Bit late now though, transfer window is closed and can't see EH bringing another striker in on loan. Be interesting to see if he tinkers with the team/formation against Crewe, probably not as Crewe play in a similar style to us, it'll probably just be two footballing sides battling it out against each other, both 4-4-2. I'm not one for predictions, but will make one for a change. 2-1 Cherries.
History is History! Its now and the future we should be looking at and enjoying! I agree Pitman is not quite up to it, he isnt quick enough and sometimes , especially with all our wing play a slightly taller bulkier forward would benefit us.
Afcbpete
says...
1:54pm Mon 11 Feb 13
big_afcb_fan
says...
8:10pm Mon 11 Feb 13
going to be very cold up there, so its coat, hat and gloves!! oh and not forgetting cherries scarf.
jakeysredd
says...
10:09pm Mon 11 Feb 13
Strawbs_78 says...
9:27pm Sun 10 Feb 13