Source: FOOTYMAD
Pompey Slaughter Saints In Demoltion Derby II
Southampton 1 Portsmouth 4 It has been over 22 years in coming but finally, I know what it feels like to win at Southampton and what a feeling it is!As part of the younger generation of Pompey fans, I was a mere toddler when the Blues last won at The Dell back in 1988 and since then it has only been pain whenever the South Coast Derby has been played on their territory.But that all changed yesterday in emphatic fashion.The journey into enemy lines was fairly eventful. Our coach was spat at by some young Scummer standing on a street corner and there a bunch of chavs standing high above their garden fence.With their skinheads, crooked teeth and Burberry clothing, they were scowling at us and making "friendly" gestures at us. It was just like a scene from "This is England".The atmosphere inside the ground could be heard when queuing up outside the turnstiles. You didn't have to be a genius to work out when the Pompey players had come out for their warm up, the tension and hatred was palpable.When I eventually got in the ground it came of no surprise to see the Saints fans taunt Pompey with their chants, dressed up as fake sheikhs and waving money at us. I expect that cash was used to buy a pint of bitter or two after the game. You had to raise a chuckle at the banter, this is what derby games should be about after all.I thought I'd misheard the announced Pompey team amongst the boos of our hosts. Mullins at right back? Hermann playing in the centre? It didn't fill me with confidence and a dire first half showing from those in blue confirmed those fears.Pompey were indebted to David James for keeping the score level at half-time. Apart from one heart-in-mouth moment when he let a corner go straight through his hands which Jaidi headed wide, he was outstanding.Scummers were certain they had scored when Papa Waigo rose to head in Lambert's cross but the England goalkeeper got a hand to it and kept it out. He also kept out Thomas' header as Saints were well in control during the first half.With only Jamie O'Hara's lobbed effort to take heart from, Pompey fans were fearing the worst during the interval. Diop had been woeful, Basinas was too slow, our defence looked very uncertain whilst Utaka and Dindane had barely seen the ball. Avram Grant had to change things.The second half began in the same way as the first ended. James was called into action again as he saved Lallana's effort when he looked more likely to score. There was a lot of huff and puff from both sides afterwards but the game changed when Grant introduced Quincy Owusu-Abeyie to the South Coast Derby.The moment of magic then came in the 66th minute as Quincy was allowed space to turn in the Southampton box, pick his spot and then curl a beautiful shot into the corner of Kelvin Davis' net to send the Pompey fans mental at the opposite end of St.Mary's.That joy didn't last long, however, as Rickie Lambert pulled those in red & white level after outjumping Marc Wilson and heading in a free kick just three minutes after Pompey had taken the lead.I couldn't help but feel that our arch rivals were going to go on from there and finish us off to cap a miserable season for everyone associated with Portsmouth Football Club. But nobody could prepare the Pompey fans for what was to follow.Owusu-Abeyie played a great ball through the Saints defence that Dindane latched on to then chipped the onrushing Kelvin Davis who got a hand to the ball but could not prevent it trickling in to give Pompey the lead again.The Stains thought they had levelled again when yet more confusion in the Pompey box saw Lee Barnard score from close range after receiving the ball from Adam Lallana's initial shot. Thankfully, the offside flag was raised and the cheers were cut short by "sit down, shut up!" chants coming from the Pompey end.The Blues then decided to twist the knife and finish Alan Pardew's men off. O'Hara's great ball out wide was taken by Belhadj who sprinted towards goal. He fooled Davis by suggesting he was going to square the ball across the box, Davis moved and exposed the corner of the net and the Algerian finished to put Pompey 3-1 up and put the game out of reach for Southampton.Just to add insult to injury, another quick counter-attack saw Belhadj rush down the left again and cross into the box for Quincy who backheeled the ball to an unmarked O'Hara who drilled the ball past the hand of Davis to grab the goal his performance deserved.4-1 up and with just minutes left to play, St. Mary's began to empty as if there was a fire drill, leaving the jubilant Pompey fans to celebrate the same scoreline as the last time the two teams met. But this time it was on their turf, in their own backyard!The final whistle blew and Pompey fans could celebrate the greatest moment of what has been a very difficult season. Avram Grant came over to bow to the fans that have found a new adoration for his fighting spirit, showing how much this means to him as well as the fans who can now continue to gloat over their inferior rivals for the time being.The "action" didn't end there though, as I emerged from St. Mary's to see some very unsavoury scenes outside the ground.The Pompey fans and the Scummers were seperated by a road filled with police mounted on horses and officers armed with batons or police dogs. The Scummers began hurling coins, stones, beer and pretty much anything they could get their hands on at us. I even saw a wheel rim chucked into the road like a frisbee.Unfortunately, some of our idiot contingent decided to pelt some coins back and things very nearly got out of hand when the fences in front of the Saints fans buckled and a few thugs from both sides of the road attempted to charge at each other. Thankfully, the police dealt with them quickly and forcefully.A few of the agitated Scummers behind the fence acted like monkeys by jumping on cars but eventually the whole crowd scarpered when more mounted police emerged from behind them as some of the Pompey fans chanted "Run away! Run away! Run away!"After the somewhat violent scenes, the coach convoy was allowed to leave Southampton and the Pompey fans could pass by Saints fans walking home and taunt them one last time before returning to the only half of Hampshire that matters.So, what a day that was!Did we deserve to win 4-1? No. Do I care? Definitely not!It has been a terrible season on the whole and we have had to endure some extremely difficult times recently, with more certainly to come in the very near future.So our fans deserved some joy this campaign and it can be no sweeter than decimating your arch rivals when they had genuine hopes of causing an upset. Bragging rights are priceless and I am certainly going to enjoy ribbing the Southampton fans at work during the coming week!With such a great day just gone by, some Pompey fans seemed to forget that there was a purpose to this game! Pompey are now in the quarter-finals of the FA Cup, one game away from a trip to Wembley and only three from winning it.So, could we be going to Wembley again and more importantly will this result inspire someone with money to come and buy the club and end our pain off the pitch once and for all?But that's for another day. This weekend has simply proved that despite everything that has gone on with our club, Portsmouth FC are still the pride of the south!Pompey Player RatingsDavid James: 8 - One moment of madness but kept us in it with some superb saves.Hayden Mullins: 6 - Did OK at right bacMarc Wilson: 5 - Really struggled with Lambert at times.Hermann Hreidarsson: 5 - Should stick to left back based on this performance.Nadir Belhadj: 7 - Blitzed Saints with his pace and scored a good goal.Angelos Basinas: 5 - Game played too quickly for him.Papa Bouba Diop: 4 - Really poor, looks very rusty.Hassan Yebda: 6 - Mixed bag of a performance.Jamie O'Hara: 8 - Driving force in the midfield, deserved his goal.John Utaka: 5 - No impact.Aruna Dindane: 7 - Good goal despite not doing much else.SubstitutesJamie AshdownDusko TosicRichard Hughes (Hreidarsson 90): N/A - Late change.Quincy Owusu-Abeyie (Basinas 58): 8 - Changed the game when he came on. Scored one and created two more.KanuDanny WebberFrederic Piquionne (Utaka 72): N/A - No real impact late on.
