Pompey Open Pre-Season With Hawks Hammering

Last updated : 09 July 2013 By Jim Bonner

Pompey began their pre-season campaign with a comfortable, if somewhat flattering 5-0 win over Havant & Waterlooville.

Two different Portsmouth teams played in each half. The first half side was Smith, Moutaouakil, N'Gala, Bradley, Triggs, Holmes, Ertl, Wallace, Harris, Connolly and Bird.

Ryan Bird instantly got on the scoresheet with a somewhat flukey goal. Ryan Woodford attempted to clear the ball but it cannoned off of the tall trialist from close range and looped into the net.

David Connolly almost doubled the score soon after with a clever flick but the ball drifted onto the post and into the grateful arms of Hawks keeper Scott Bevan.

The game then descended into the standard pre-season friendly fare played at a slow tempo. Former Sheffield United and Watford striker Steve Kabba forced Phil Smith into a stretching save towards the end of the half with a curling shot but that was as good as it got for the hosts.

With the first half coming to an end, Bird grabbed his second fortunate goal of the evening as Jed Wallace's strike from outside the box with what looked like a deflection, although some claim it was a cheeky flick.

Pompey's second half team consisted of Sullivan, East, Devera, Webster, Butler, Cooper, Padovani, Mendy, Barcham, Agyemang and Craddock.

The new team started brighter than their predecessors but couldn't score a goal. Instead, the unfortunate Woodford made it 3-0 after heading Tom Craddock's cross deftly into the top corner of his own net. Beautiful.

Once again, the game lulled until late on but Pompey got a fourth late on when Romain Padovani headed in Dan Butler's cross from close range past substitute keeper Charlie Searle.

Andy Barcham then immediately added gloss to the result after dribbling the ball downfield and slotting the ball under Searle's legs with just a few minutes of the match remaining.

All in all, this was your standard pre-season game with just enough entertainment to justify the rather hefty £13 price tag.

What have we learned about some of Pompey's players from today? Bird  seems to know when to be in the right place at the right time, Holmes and Barcham are good with the ball at their feet and Sullivan is a very vocal goalkeeper, barking orders at his defenders constantly.

Other than that, the other players either didn't do enough to stand out or simply weren't tested enough by the Hawks to make any kind of real judgement, although it should be said that David Connolly still looks a class above everyone else.

Next up for Pompey is a trip to Bognor Regis on Saturday.