H (2-1) Rochdale

 2020/2021, Football, Match Report
Apr 022021
 


H League 1
Portsmouth 2
Rochdale 1


FORM GUIDE (All competitions) – 45 %

WON WON WON LOST LOST LOST LOST LOST DRAWN WON

Pompey continued their winning start under Danny Cowley by beating League One’s bottom side Rochdale at Fratton Park.

The damage was done before the break, with Ronan Curtis’ neat finish adding to an early Ryan Williams opener.

Some neat possession play ensured that the visitors were unable to really get into the game and although they had a few moments late on, Craig MacGillivray was rarely troubled.

Jake Beesley did score for Dale deep into stoppage-time, but it proved to be no more than a consolation.

Cowley made one enforced change from the side that had won at Shrewsbury the previous week.

With John Marquis starting a three-match ban, Curtis – back from international duty – took his place up front.

It meant that former Rochdale midfielder Andy Cannon had to be content with a place among the substitutes.

The sun was shining on the south coast and the hosts were basking underneath the blue skies as they took an early lead.

Marcus Harness got into the area and sent a low ball towards the far post, where WILLIAMS was waiting to bundle over the line.

Pompey were passing the ball patiently around the pitch and looking to find another goal, with Harness causing problems with his jinking runs.

It was Michael Jacobs who should have doubled the advantage on 19 minutes, however, scuffing his shot narrowly past the post after being played through by Curtis.

He tried again with an acrobatic effort from a Callum Johnson cross, but was unable to guide the ball on target.

Pompey did have a cushion towards the end of the half, though, as their dominance in possession paid off.

CURTIS collected a pass from Jacobs and advanced into the box before angling a precise low strike right into the bottom corner.

Gavin Bazunu was then alert to gather the ball after Harness had been found by Williams and tried to pick out Curtis.

Rochdale had barely threatened, but a long kick from their keeper sent Beesley through on goal in stoppage-time.

MacGillivray was off his line to deny the forward, however, and Sean Raggett hooked clear the loose ball.

Half Time

Portsmouth 2

Rochdale 0

Pompey did not abandon their passing principles once the action restarted and a nice move down the right provided another opening.

Harness swapped passes with Johnson and found Curtis, whose ball into the middle could not quite be flicked home by Williams.

Lee Brown then picked up possession and his cross-shot was gathered by Bazunu, as Rochdale held on.

The Blues were still controlling both possession and territory, with their opponents causing very few problems.

Bazunu was not having much to deal with at the other end, but the hosts’ healthy lead meant that was not causing much concern.

Cowley freshened things up on 65 minutes, with Tottenham loanee Harvey White coming on for Jacobs.

Rochdale did begin to look a bit more threatening as the contest neared its conclusion and Johnson did well to stop Kwadwo Baah getting a shot away.

The lively Harness made way for Cannon for the closing stages, with Pompey shoring up their midfield.

Charlie Daniels also came on for the tidy Ben Close, as the Blues seemed to be comfortably seeing out the final few moments.

But there were a few nerves when Beesley turned home Alex Newby’s low cross in stoppage-time before the final whistle blew and Pompey could celebrate a third straight win.

Pompey (4-2-3-1): MacGillivray; Johnson, Whatmough, Raggett, Brown; Naylor (c), Close (Daniels 87); Harness (Cannon 82), Williams, Jacobs (White 65); Curtis
Goals: Williams 5, Curtis 37
Booked: Williams
Subs not used: Ward, Bolton, Nicolaisen, Byers

Rochdale (3-5-2): Bazunu; O’Connell (c), McShane (Roberts 53), Osho; Keohane (Newby 82), Shaughnessy (Dooley 68), Rathbone, Grant (Morley 53), Done; Beesley, Baah
Goals: Beesley 90+3
Booked: Keohane
Subs not used: Lynch, McNulty, Hopper

Referee: Lee Swabey

Portsmouth FC Season 20/21

Janet Devlin

 Blog
Apr 022021
 


I have for a long time been a fan of Janet Devlin after seeing her at the Victorious Festival back in 2013.

Now of course it helped that she was very pretty even though her online videos were often soaked in self-pity but I was a very big fan of her music which persuaded me to join her Patreon page and contributed £50 a month for the continued creation of new music.

Then she got into tattoos, now I am not a fan of tattoos especially to the extent she was having them done but I let that slide and continued paying for new music.

Now she has had a boob job, yes it looks impressive but she looked fine beforehand.

This has put me in the position where I can no longer justify paying money to someone who has spare cash to waste on tattoos and boob jobs. Now the internet is full of people ready to condemn criticism and defend her which is fine but my money is my own and I choose to no longer fund her.

I will still buy her music as and when it released.

A (2-1) Shrewsbury Town

 2020/2021, Football, Match Report
Mar 272021
 


A League 1
Shrewsbury Town 1
Portsmouth 2


FORM GUIDE (All competitions) – 35 %

WON WON LOST LOST LOST LOST LOST DRAWN WON LOST

Pompey climbed back into the play-off places after securing a deserved League One victory at Shrewsbury – despite playing a quarter of the contest with just 10 men.

They controlled possession, with goals from Marcus Harness and John Marqus securing a commanding lead at the break.

But Nathanael Ogbeta reduced the hosts’ deficit early in the second half and the Shrews were then given an extra boost.

Marquis was shown a controversial red card for a challenge on Harry Chapman, but the Blues saw the game out with relative ease to ensure the points would be heading back to the south coast.

Danny Cowley made four changes from the side that beat Ipswich on home soil in his first game in charge the previous week.

There were returns from injury for Marquis and Callum Johnson, while Michael Jacobs and Ben Close also started.

James Bolton and Andy Cannon dropped to the bench, with the injured Jordy Hiwula missing out completely and Ronan Curtis away on international duty.

Former Pompey striker Curtis Main was in the hosts’ line-up, although manager Steve Cotterill was still missing from the dug-out, as he continues his recovery from a Covid-enforced stay in hospital.

In a slow opening to proceedings it was the Shrews who were first to threaten, with Dan Udoh spinning on the edge of the box and firing in a low show that was saved by Craig MacGillivray.

But the Blues soon settled and began to dominate possession, while asking questions of their opponents’ back three.

Close lifted a pass into the mixer, where Ryan Williams rose to deftly flick the ball inches past the post.

Tom Naylor then tried to glance home a corner from Jacobs, but could not get enough on his header to guide it on target.

And the deadlock was broken on 25 minutes after Johnson had played a neat one-two with Williams down the right.

He then laid the ball off for HARNESS, who neatly bent the ball into the side of the net to make the pressure count.

They almost had a second when the ball pinged dangerously around the Shrewsbury box, but Harry Burgoyne denied Williams from point-blank range.

The Blues were on top, though, and unsurprisingly doubled their advantage on 36 minutes, with the impressive Close involved.

He lifted a pass towards Lee Brown at the far post and the left-back sent the ball across the face of goal, with MARQUIS on hand to find the net from a yard out.

Even when the hosts were able to get into Pompey’s area in stoppage-time, Naylor was back to dispossess Ogbeta.

Half Time

Shrewsbury Town 0

Portsmouth 2

The visitors appeared to be cruising, but conceded a soft goal soon after the restart to allow their opponents back into the contest.

Ogbeta collected the ball on the left and was given far too much space to race towards the edge of the box and stroke a shot into the bottom corner.

Pompey tried to hit back and a dangerous Harness delivery was turned behind, while Marquis was tackled before he could get a strike away.

Harness then cut the ball back from the right and there was another spot of pinball before the hosts was able to clear.

Shrewsbury then threatened at the other end, although Main flicked a Chapman cross straight into MacGillivray’s arms.

But Pompey were reduced to 10 men midway through the second half, with Marquis the man to be sent off.

He slid in on Chapman and appeared to win the ball, but also caught the Shrews substitute and referee Benjamin Speedie deemed it dangerous enough to issue a red card.

Cowley made a change shortly afterwards, with Jacobs making way for Cannon to shore up the midfield.

And the lively Close was then replaced by former Shrews defender Charlie Daniels for the closing stages.

Pompey were not being put under too much pressure from their hosts as they attempted to see the contest out.

A display of seven additional minutes might have caused nerves to rise among the visiting ranks, but they held on to celebrate another vital victory.

Shrewsbury (3-4-1-2): Burgoyne; Pennington (Pyke 82), Ebanks-Landell (c), Williams; Sears (Chapman 46), Davis, Vela, Ogbeta; Goss (Whalley 69); Udoh (Edwards 69), Main
Goals: Ogbeta 52
Subs not used: Bevan, Bloxham, Caton

Pompey (4-2-3-1): MacGillivray; Johnson, Whatmough, Raggett, Brown; Naylor (c), Close (Daniels 84); Harness, Williams (Nicolaisen 90+5), Jacobs (Cannon 75); Marquis
Goals: Harness 25, Marquis 36
Sent off: Marquis
Subs not used: Ward, Bolton, Byers, White

Referee: Benjamin Speedie

Portsmouth FC Season 20/21