Another demoralising defeat

Pompey slumped to another sickening home defeat, this time 2 long range efforts cancelled out McLeod's solitary effort, what will rankle with the fans though is the way Pompey went down, creating little and not seeming urgent enough for an equaliser.

This season is starting to take on big parralels with the last three, a team thrown together is struggling to get points on the board as the try and gel, trouble is, we all know how 2 of those 3 season panned out!

Yesterday had a bizarre feel to it, the game was played under what I felt was a flat atmosphere, I think the off field shaningans have well and truly knocked the the stuffing out of all fans now, until our ownership issues are sorted, I honestly think even the most optimistic fan is going to travel to a game full of beans and excited at the prospect of urging on his side.

All the talk on the message boards was how we were going to win this one, even the Walsall fans seemed to be hoping for no more than a draw, but if Pompey start slowly and uninspiringly, the fans soon see the dark clouds gathering once more.

Ashley Harris got the start everyone was crying out for, Dumbuya also returned after his long, fruitless trip to Sierra Leone.

The first half was as flat as last nights beer, plenty of Pompey possesion with no real openings created, in fact the highlight was a great reaction save from Andersen to keep us level.

The second half saw McLeod force at least a save from Grof in the Walsall goal, the loose ball being hacked clear off the line.

Walsall soon took the lead though, Hemmings made the most of some lazy defending from Dumbuya to tee up Baxendale who gave Andersen no chance from distance.

Ex-trainee Cuvelier who was head and shoulders above any other player on the pitch doubled the lead, from a similar distance he finished smartly with composure through a packed penalty area.

Pompey were at last sparked into some sort of life, McLeod responding with a good finish of his own, a ball broke to him from 20 yards and he placed nicely in a corner.

Pompey huffed and they puffed, but could find no further way through, a couple of weak headers was the best they could muster, although Jack Compton deserves note for at least providing some genuine width for the first time, if there was to be another goal, it was Walsall who almost grabbed it, Pompey gave up possesion with another loose pass and Paterson smashed the crossbar, again from around the 25 yard mark, maybe a pointer to where we are going wrong?

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