Pompey travel to the Withdean Stadium tomorrow to take on the best that League One has to offer in Brighton & Hove Albion.
Team News
Steve Cotterill will be without Ricardo Rocha who is recovering from a hamstring problem and will be out for at least two weeks, whilst Greg Halford has returned to Wolves to serve the rest of his suspension.
Dave Kitson is carrying a foot injury but should play and there is likely to be another start for Kanu just behind him in a 4-4-1-1 formation.
Gus Poyet says he will make "two or three changes" to his side but promises to field a strong team.
The Match
I love the FA Cup, it has given me some of the greatest memories in my time supporting Portsmouth and I'm glad that Steve Cotterill will have no choice but to play a strong side as I always like to see Pompey go on a cup run.
We may be a Championship side with a threadbare squad and so some will say the the cup will be a hinderance when the club are trying to stabilise a club and could do with little extra fixtures as possible, but this match also offers the opportunity to get that winning feeling back after a run of four games without a win.
Brighton can count themselves lucky to even be in the third round of the FA Cup. Having being held to a goalless draw by non-league Woking in the first round, it took a penalty shootout to finally see the Seagulls through.
A lower non-league side in FC United of Manchester then also came to the Withdean and held the hosts men to a draw, with the FCUM 'keeper saving a last minute penalty after Mauricio Tarrico levelled the game late on.
It was no surprise to see Gus Poyet take the replay more seriously as Albion hammered the fan created club 4-0 at Gigg Lane. I suspect that Poyet will not be fielding his reserves when Pompey arrive tomorrow.
The bookies have made Brighton favourites for this match despite them being in a lower league and with our recent form and terrible defending (9 goals conceded in the last three games) you can see why.
But with the likes of Lawrence, Kanu and Nugent on the pitch I can see Pompey creating plenty of opportunities themselves, even if Brighton have only conceded 17 goals all season.
The main worry will be our defence that is used to conceding goals will be up against their forwards that are used to scoring goals this season. It should be an open game because of this and one that I'm looking forward to.
Predicted Starting Line-Ups
Brighton
GK: Casper ANKERGREN
RB: Adam EL-ABD
CB: Tommy ELPHICK
CB: Gordon GREER
LB: Marcos PAINTER
RM: Radostin KISHISHEV
CM: Liam BRIDCUTT
CM: Matt SPARROW
LM: Gary DICKER
CF: Chris WOOD
CF: Glenn MURRAY
Pompey
GK: Jamie ASHDOWN
RB: Joel WARD
CB: Ibrahima SONKO
CB: Aaron MOKOENA
LB: Carl DICKINSON
RM: David NUGENT
CM: Liam LAWRENCE
CM: Hayden MULLINS
LM: John UTAKA
AM: KANU
CF: Dave KITSON
Last Time: Brighton & Hove Albion 1 Portsmouth 1 (Division One - 18/01/2003)
Steve Coppell's Seagulls took the lead in the second half through Bobby Zamora in the 56th minute but Svetoslav Todorov equalised ten minutes later in Pompey's only league encounter at the Withdean Stadium.
My Prediction
It would not be a major surprise to see Brighton win this tomorrow given the respective form of both teams but we're still a division higher than them and have players capable of individual brilliance to win this one.
I expect a draw and an unwanted replay after an entertaining game. Thankfully the weather forecast is dry tomorrow, so at least us Pompey fans shouldn't be soaking wet if Pompey lose!
Brighton & Hove Albion 2 Portsmouth 2
Team News
Steve Cotterill will be without Ricardo Rocha who is recovering from a hamstring problem and will be out for at least two weeks, whilst Greg Halford has returned to Wolves to serve the rest of his suspension.
Dave Kitson is carrying a foot injury but should play and there is likely to be another start for Kanu just behind him in a 4-4-1-1 formation.
Gus Poyet says he will make "two or three changes" to his side but promises to field a strong team.
The Match
I love the FA Cup, it has given me some of the greatest memories in my time supporting Portsmouth and I'm glad that Steve Cotterill will have no choice but to play a strong side as I always like to see Pompey go on a cup run.
We may be a Championship side with a threadbare squad and so some will say the the cup will be a hinderance when the club are trying to stabilise a club and could do with little extra fixtures as possible, but this match also offers the opportunity to get that winning feeling back after a run of four games without a win.
Brighton can count themselves lucky to even be in the third round of the FA Cup. Having being held to a goalless draw by non-league Woking in the first round, it took a penalty shootout to finally see the Seagulls through.
A lower non-league side in FC United of Manchester then also came to the Withdean and held the hosts men to a draw, with the FCUM 'keeper saving a last minute penalty after Mauricio Tarrico levelled the game late on.
It was no surprise to see Gus Poyet take the replay more seriously as Albion hammered the fan created club 4-0 at Gigg Lane. I suspect that Poyet will not be fielding his reserves when Pompey arrive tomorrow.
The bookies have made Brighton favourites for this match despite them being in a lower league and with our recent form and terrible defending (9 goals conceded in the last three games) you can see why.
But with the likes of Lawrence, Kanu and Nugent on the pitch I can see Pompey creating plenty of opportunities themselves, even if Brighton have only conceded 17 goals all season.
The main worry will be our defence that is used to conceding goals will be up against their forwards that are used to scoring goals this season. It should be an open game because of this and one that I'm looking forward to.
Predicted Starting Line-Ups
Brighton
GK: Casper ANKERGREN
RB: Adam EL-ABD
CB: Tommy ELPHICK
CB: Gordon GREER
LB: Marcos PAINTER
RM: Radostin KISHISHEV
CM: Liam BRIDCUTT
CM: Matt SPARROW
LM: Gary DICKER
CF: Chris WOOD
CF: Glenn MURRAY
Pompey
GK: Jamie ASHDOWN
RB: Joel WARD
CB: Ibrahima SONKO
CB: Aaron MOKOENA
LB: Carl DICKINSON
RM: David NUGENT
CM: Liam LAWRENCE
CM: Hayden MULLINS
LM: John UTAKA
AM: KANU
CF: Dave KITSON
Last Time: Brighton & Hove Albion 1 Portsmouth 1 (Division One - 18/01/2003)
Steve Coppell's Seagulls took the lead in the second half through Bobby Zamora in the 56th minute but Svetoslav Todorov equalised ten minutes later in Pompey's only league encounter at the Withdean Stadium.
My Prediction
It would not be a major surprise to see Brighton win this tomorrow given the respective form of both teams but we're still a division higher than them and have players capable of individual brilliance to win this one.
I expect a draw and an unwanted replay after an entertaining game. Thankfully the weather forecast is dry tomorrow, so at least us Pompey fans shouldn't be soaking wet if Pompey lose!
Brighton & Hove Albion 2 Portsmouth 2