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After last Sunday's match against Southampton, I would have been very pleased to come out of two away games to the 1st and 3rd place teams with two points. As it was the magnificent win at Reading meant that there was much less pressure on this game. Anything achieved here would be a bonus, I thought before the match. But, as always, as match time approached my hopes and expectations began to rise again. Having watched the Portsmouth-Norwich match on the tele I thought that Portsmouth aren't anywhere near as good a team as their position suggests. Could we pull off a famous victory? And then I heard the team news.....
The injuries came as a complete surprise to me. Had they been kept secret on purpose, were they last minute, or - as someone suggested later on the 'Molineux Mix' was Jones resting some players from our grueling schedule because he had already decided that we were going to lose? Whatever the reason, to lose four first-teamers going into an away match against the top of the division side is not the most pleasing site. The fact that three of the players that we lost played in defence did not bode well. Naylor, Lescott, Butler and Blake were replaced by Edworthy (with Irwin switching to left back), Clyde, Pollet and Sturridge. The first league match that Lescott had missed all season.
And it got worse almost immediately. A mere three minutes into the game Todorov lost the ball just inside the Wolves' half, but the ball ran kindly for Stone, who took the ball forward before firing a shot that ballooned off Murray's legs and dropped annoyingly into the back of the net. Portsmouth 1 Wolves 0 This was Stone's first match back after a long lay-off due to injury and unfortunately for us he came back with a bang.
At this point, given the severely depleted team I was particularly nervous about what the result of this game might end up as. But the feared avalanche never happened. In fact, given the circumstances, Wolves held up well with Portsmouth failing to trouble Murray again in this half. Wolves, however also failed to hint at a goal, with just a couple of chances of note. Clyde shot over the bar when a Kennedy free kick was half-cleared to him. The best chance however was snuffed out by the Portsmouth goalie, Hislop, who gathered a low Rae cross, which had just been missed by Miller at the near post.
Half Time Portsmouth 1 Wolves 0
At half time Newton came on for the injured Cameron, providing a bit more width. Wolves had by far the more possession in the second half, but much like the first half, they failed to manufacture many chances of note.
The play was very niggly, with Wolves players getting more and more irate, arguing with the ref, with Portsmouth players and with each other. Portsmouth were very cynical in their play - and I must say they were aided and abbetted by the ref. In particular De Zeuw got off scot-free with a cynical body-check and Stone - who had repeatedly been fouling everyone (especially Ince in the hope that he'd retaliate) - didn't get booked until 5 minutes before the end.
By that time Wolves had become dominant, and had fashioned a few half-chances. Proudlock replaced Miller with 20 minutes to go and almost created a scoring chance with his first touch. His determination created an opening when he kept the ball near the corner flag, fed it to Newton whose dangerous-looking cross was cut out by Foxe. The half ended with a flying header by Ince being saved by Hislop, but there was no joy for the travelling fans.
After the match the Portsmouth fans were strangley paraded in front of the disappointed Wolves fans, who had been made to wait in the stands. Was there so much need for such provocation from the authorities?
After the match Harry Redknap trotted out the hackneyed Megson-esque quote about Wolves team costing millions and his team being put together with 'tuppences and thruppences'. Hmmm, exactly how many ex-Premiership players have you got in your team, Mr Redknapp? Is your striker on loan from Inter Milan, Harry? For all the tried and trusted bluster, Portsmouth were lucky to appoint a wheeler-dealer second-hand car dealer as a manager, just at the time when almost all clubs needed to off-load players. They'll get promoted this season, but without massive investment they'll be here again in the muppet league in the 2004-2005 season.
Will Wolves still be there to play them? Well, most results on the day went against us - most notably Ipswich and Norwich made up ground on us. We may be five points clear, but I wouldn't start booking the hotel in Cardiff yet.....
Full Time Portsmouth 1 Wolves 0 | 
