How shit must you be? We are winning at Home!

Well we finally nail that first home win in six months! However it took seven goals, seven yellow cards, three debutants, two red cards and two penalties. Surely there must be an easier way!


It was our first home win since March 2011.


It all started so well with great expectations from both players and crowd based on our away form and new signings from the transfer window. That was brought down to earth with a large bump very quickly.


Within the first 3 minutes Carlton Cole had conceded a free kick after fouling ex Hammer Hadden Mullins and new boy Henri Lansbury had conceded two free kicks to Pompey.


Pomey scored on 7 minutes. It looked like an own goal or deflection from Carlton Cole to me but it was credited to Luke Varney. I doubt Carlton while argue with that and what to claim it for himself.


One minute later Carlton Cole is fouled and we were rewarded with a free kick which Matty Taylor converts into superbly taken set piece. Again it seemed to take a slight deflection from a Pompey player before going in but it was given to Matty. So all square after 9 minutes.


We had to wait until the 53th minute and another deflection. This time Noble crosses towards Faubert and the ball drops to Lansbury 16 yards out. He drives it low and it flicks off Pearce and dribbles past the wrong-footed keeper.

It now we start singing 'We are winning at home, We are winning at home, How Shit must you be? We are winning at home'

This chant started in Sir Trevor Brooking Lower was not to last as 7 minutes later Pompey equalised yet again. Portsmouth break as Mark Noble is caught out. Huseklepp picks out Norris, who heads powerfully past Greeno at shirt range. Winston Reid tries to keep it out on the line, but his efforts are in vain. Two-all   back to square one!


Liam Lawrence is sent off after he fouls David Bentley. It was his second bookable offence after being booked in the first half for fouling our other debutant Henri Lansbury.


Just 3 minutes later referee penalises Jason Pearce for handball and Mark Noble converts to put us 3-2 up despite ex Hammer  Ben Haim trying to put Noble off taking the penalty.


We nervously start singing ' 'We are winning at home, We are winning at home, How Shit must you be? We are winning at home' for the second time.

Our nervousness turns to optimism when Carlton Cole scores from a backwards header just four minutes later.

We now sing 'We are winning at home, We are winning at home, How Shit must you be? We are winning at home' with confidence.

Surly not even West Ham can concede 2 goals in 15 minutes to a 10 men Pompey. 

5 minutes from normal time Piquionne replaces Cole and promptly gets sent off 9 minutes later in injury time when the ref says he raised his arm to Halford in the box.  Halford gets up and seems fine once Freddy is shown his red card.  One minute later Mark Noble clips ex hammer Tal Ben-Haim and a penalty is awarded to Pompey!


Why is it that referees believe they should even up games by players sending off for soft challenges and awarding soft penalties after there has been an earlier sending off and penalty for the opposition. Pompey convert their penalty and it ends up 4-3. Luckily the ref blows the final whistle straight afterwards or it could have ended 20-19 given enough time.


A win is a win but hardly a convincing home display. Some good spells by Lansbury who got man of the match, Bentley looks good, Noble worked hard, Matty Taylor and Carlton Cole also worth a mention. Nolan had a off game and the team didn't really gel together. The defence needs sorting out!

The mid field still looked crowded and the many fans that were hoping for a 4-4-2 formation and Sam Baldock were disappointed.

We still haven't addressed conceding a third goal in injury time in all 3 home games this season.

Still I am sure 75 year old Birthday Boy David left with a smile on his face

We will be recording Episode 4 of Moore Than Just a Podcast on Monday night talking about the game. Please leave a comment if you have a question for us or a topic we should cover on the next episode.

http://moorethanjustapodcast.podbean.com