Shrimpers Sink Pompey

Last updated : 13 September 2014 By Jim Bonner

Portsmouth fell to a third straight defeat in League Two after a bad performance in an awful game of football at Roots Hall.

Jack Whatmough and Miles Storey came into the side at the expense of Johnny Ertl and Ryan Taylor (the latter not even making the bench) as Andy Awford deployed his team in a 4-3-2-1 formation, but it didn't work.

Pompey started brightly but the first half soon descended into a scrappy affair with both teams guilty of some woeful passes and bad challenges. Both goalkeepers did have saves to make but they were comfortable as neither side could keep the ball long enough to create chances.

The second half also started well for the visitors with Daniel Bentley forced into a save but Paul Jones also had to make a save at the other end of the pitch but he made a hash of it and the ball went out for a corner.

And from that corner Southend scored with the ball falling to an unmarked Barry Corr at the near post to head in the opening goal.

Pompey huffed and puffed to find an equaliser and the closest they came was when substitute Patrick Agyemang's effort was blocked on the line as Phil Brown's men threw themselves at every ball to ensure they didn't concede.

Having won a corner in stoppage time, Pompey piled everyone forward to score an equaliser but it came to nothing and Southend broke quickly and scored a second goal as Shaquile Coulthirst's shot just beat Jones to the bottom corner of the net.

That confirmed Pompey's third consecutive league defeat without scoring and it was, without any doubt, their worst performance under Andy Awford.and none of the players could have left Roots Hall thinking they had earned their money today.

The defending is something that has to be criticised as the back four fell asleep for the first goal. There were warning signs in the first half as a cross just missed an area at the far post where there were four players in a Shrimpers shirt waiting to pounce.

So to not mark Corr, Southend's main man up front, when defending a set-piece was criminal and Awford clearly hadn't got his message through to his players about concentrating 100% of the time when defending.

The attacking players also left a lot to be desired for most of the game. Ricky Holmes hasn't had a particularly good game this season with today being arguably his worst performance so far this season and the same could be said for Danny Hollands who, a couple of wayward volleys aside, didn't contribute to the match at all.

Even Jed Wallace had a mare at times today and it's worrying that Pompey's squad currently seems to lack any players with the energy and quality to create chances and finish them off. If only Wes Fogden hadn't been injured in pre-season... 

It wasn't just a lack of quality and effort on the players' part as to why Pompey were beaten today. Awford again tinkered with the formation, opting to play Craig Westcarr as a lone striker when he isn't big enough or quick enough to do it effectively - he needs a strike partner.

The substitutions were baffling, too. Storey was getting some change out of the Southend full backs so why he came off for Andy Barcham instead of the ineffective Holmes is something only he will know.

The Andy Awford honeymoon period is certainly over now and now we'll discover just how good a manager Awford really is given that this is his first bad run of form in management. Thankfully, lowly Dagenham are up next at Fratton Park and so that represents a great opportunity to get back on track.

But the players are going to have to play much, much better than they did today on Tuesday night otherwise it'll be a fourth consecutive defeat without scoring. 

Pompey Player Ratings

Paul Jones: 5 - Should have prevented the corner that led to the goal.

Alex Wynter: 5 - Not had the best of starts to his Pompey career.

Paul Robinson: 5 - Struggled at times.

Jack Whatmough: 6 - Steady.

Nicky Shorey: 6 - Average.

James Dunne: 6 - Gave everything unlike some of his team mates.

Jed Wallace: 5 - Touch let him down.

Danny Hollands: 5 - Not in the game.

Miles Storey: 6 - Pompey's most lively player.

Ricky Holmes: 4 - Ineffective.

Craig Westcarr: 4 - Had no service and almost useless as a lone striker.

Substitutes

Michael Poke

Joe Devera

Johnny Ertl

Dan Butler (Shorey 72): N/A - Was brought on to get forward but never really did.

Ben Close

Andy Barcham (Storey 60): 5 - Made no difference.

Patrick Agyemang (Wallace 78): N/A - Needed more time.