Bristol City vs Portsmouth Preview

Published: 19 Aug 2011 - 18:18:37

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Can Pompey build on their midweek win? Pompey travel to Bristol looking to build on an important victory over Reading in midweek. Team News Steve Cotterill is likely to pick the same side that beat the Royals on Tuesday with Benjani on the bench again and Erik Huseklepp unlikely to be registered in time should he sign today. Keith Millen is also likely to name an unchanged line-up from the side that came away from Leicester with an impressive win, meaning David James will be denied a reunion with his Pompey pals as Dean Gerken will start the game. The Match Hopefully Tuesday's win was not a false dawn and Steve Cotterill will resist tampering with the team that performed fairly well. If Pompey could reproduce that performance at Ashton Gate then I would have fancied them to win until the Robins came away from Leicester with a surprising victory themselves on Wednesday. Nicky Maynard scored both goals in a 2-1 win at the King Power Stadium and has also netted their only other league goal this season. He is one of the Championship's best forwards and so if the Portsmouth defence can keep him quiet then a win is on the cards. City possess some other good players in winger Albert Adomah and midfield goalscorer Marvin Elliott but their defence is suspect having conceded three goals in their first home game of the season against Ipswich. And whilst Pompey don't have a striker of the quality of Michael Chopra in their ranks they do have Kanu who can unlock any Championship defence and hopefully a revitalised Dave Kitson after his goal on Tuesday. The midweek win has renewed confidence going into this match so a good result is definitely not out of the question and hopefully we'll be able to catch up with the other two South Coast clubs! Predicted Starting Line-Ups Bristol City GK: Dean GERKEN RB: Jordan SPENCE CB: James WILSON CB: Lewin NYATANGA LB: Jamie McCALLISTER RM: Albert ADOMAH CM: Marvin ELLIOTT CM: Neil KILKENNY LM: Cole SKUSE CF: Jamal CAMPBELL-RYCE CF: Nicky MAYNARD Pompey GK: Jamie ASHDOWN RB: Aaron MOKOENA CB: Jason PEARCE CB: Greg HALFORD LB: Tal BEN-HAIM RM: Liam LAWRENCE CM: Hayden MULLINS CM: David NORRIS LM: Luke VARNEY CF: KANU CF: Dave KITSON Last Time: Bristol City 2 Portsmouth 1 (Championship - 08/03/2011) Pompey dominated the first half of this game only to be hit on the counter-attack as Adomah and Maynard exchanged a one-two through a lacking Pompey defence with the former slotting past Ashdown who had just beaten Peter Mellor's post-war record of minutes played without conceding. Greg Halford turned Maynard's cross into his own net in the second half to seal the win for the hosts that would end Pompey's six game winning streak. Kitson deflected Carl Dickinson's shot in stoppage time for a consolation goal. Click here for Fratton Faithful Bristol City Championship Profile My Prediction I'm much more confident of a result now than I was before Tuesday but the Robins have a striker in Maynard that I think the Pompey defence will struggle to cope with before his inevitable move away from Ashton Gate. I'll predict yet another draw. Bristol City 1 Portsmouth 1