Pompey fans will travel to the Abbey Stadium tomorrow wondering just what sort of performance they will get from their erratic team.
Team News
Enda Stevens is fit to start tomorrow despite coming off with a hamstring strain last Saturday. Matt Clarke, Drew Talbot and Adam Buxton are all fit again and may be included in the squad at least.
Adam McGurk and James Dunne are set to face their former club tomorrow but midfielder Luke Berry is suspended.
The Match
Who knows what to expect from Paul Cook's men at this current moment in time? They're good enough to score goals against Cambridge but their defending leaves a lot to be desired. If Clarke is 100% fit tomorrow, he'll surely play ahead of Tom Davies.
If Pompey fans want reasons to be optimistic tomorrow then they'll remember that their team are a bogey side for Cambridge, having won every match against them since their return to the Football League. Not a single striker has scored for them either, with McGurk being as lacklustre as expected and perennial danger man Barry Corr out injured for tomorrow's match.
However, Shaun Derry has turned things around recently and his team have won four out of their last six games after a terrible start to the season. Ex-Pompey man James Dunne has been a key part of that revival and so Michael Doyle and his defensive midfield partner must make sure they get the better of him tomorrow.
There will surely be goals at both ends during this one. Let's just hope Pompey score more as anything but a win will surely see Paul Cook under more pressure than he would expect following the defeat to Notts County thanks to the fickle nature of football fans.
Predicted Starting Line-Ups
Cambridge
GK: Will NORRIS
RB: Brad HALLIDAY
CB: Leon LEGGE
CB: Mark ROBERTS
LB: Greg TAYLOR
DM: James DUNNE
DM: Max CLARK
RM: Piero MINGOIA
AM: Adam McGURK
LM: Harrison DUNK
CF: Uche IKPEAZU
Pompey
GK: David FORDE
RB: Gareth EVANS
CB: Christian BURGESS
CB: Matt CLARKE
LB: Enda STEVENS
DM: Michael DOYLE
DM: Amine LINGANZI
RM: Gary ROBERTS
AM: Carl BAKER
LM: Kyle BENNETT
CF: Conor CHAPLIN
Last Time: Cambridge United 1 Portsmouth 3 (League Two - 10/10/2015)
Robbie Simpson gave the hosts an early lead with a goal that should have been ruled out for offside but the turning point of the match came at half-time when Cambridge captain Mark Roberts was sent off for a scuffle with Leam Richardson who was eventually escorted away by the police.
Pompey's luck turned in the second half as Leon Legge sliced a clearance into his own net for the equaliser and then Matt Tubbs gave the visitors the lead just a minute later. The striker then took advantage of a fortunate ricochet into his path to put the result beyond doubt and restore Portsmouth's position at the top of League Two.
My Prediction
Some of the players who Cook will never drop (such as Roberts and Doyle) really need to get back to their best if Pompey are to win this. Cambridge are a little blunt and brittle at the back and given previous history between the two clubs, I am backing the Blues to narrowly win a tight affair.
Cambridge United 1 Portsmouth 2