handbags_harris Decent win all told. Portsmouth very impressive, keep up that level of performance and they'll walk League 2.
I always think there is very little context to be place on a cup tie against lower league opposition. There is rarely any correlation to league form in terms of league position, and yesterday was no exception. Portsmouth are 30-odd positions below us yet there was nothing between the sides over the 90 minutes. Typically the overreaction from many is a bit laughable, suggestions that we were "outplayed" and "awful" bely what was actually a generally well ground out result against a side that have good quality and an excellent manager. Typically of sides that will play us, when we had the ball they hassled and harried, denied us space in the middle knowing we had nowhere near enough threat on the flanks until McCleary entered the fray and with the ball looked to work it out to the flanks or play through their big no.17.
Both sides had clear chances in the first half, bit disappointed with the defence being undone so easily but with better conviction in front of goal we should have notched twice, maybe three times ourselves. All told an even half with the goal a result of a horrible error that al-Habsi seems to have in his 90-minute locker. Second half was a bit of a grind until the equaliser, Pompey simply had to hold onto their lead and look to play on the break. Luckily for us, our defensive resolve is such that I don't see us being undone on the counter much this season, and in the end an excellent equaliser from Blackman was the turning point at which I felt we would go on and win. It's obvious to say the equaliser was crucial but with our lack of threat it the crucial element takes even more emphasis because we simply don't look like being able to take many of the clear chances we create. Even in the end the winner was a scrappy affair which should have been lashed into the roof of the net, but the build up play to both goals was Championship quality showing through against League 2 opponents, and that ultimately is the margin between the sides. Pompey matched us in every area, but the individual moments of quality that open up a defence were much more likely to come from us because we have the personnel to do it.
Pleased with the win naturally, not at all disappointed with the performance as a game taken in 90 minutes of isolation as I felt we just about deserved it, and Pompey fans are still knuckle dragging, gold and Nike wearing pikeys (touch of class pre-match with the 21 for Dolan though). Kudos for the bearded bloke at the front of the upper tier to our left who utterly lost it after our winner
He went mental "you're just from fcuking Reading, you live in fcuking Reading you pcunts"
