With Pompey sat just inside the play-off places and a mere six games remaining, there is plenty to play for. Danny Cowley’s men will be hoping to get enough points on the board to extend their campaign by at least two more matches. Meanwhile, it is almost certain that their opponents on Saturday (12.30pm kick-off) will be playing League One football again next term. MK Dons are safe from the drop in 14th spot and, barring an unlikely set of results, not going to climb into the top six. But that represents progress for the men from Buckinghamshire, who were in the drop zone when Russell Martin replaced Paul Tisdale as manager a few months into last season. Like the Blues, they recently enjoyed a four-match winning run, but have collected a solitary point from the past three games. They were most recently in action on Tuesday evening, suffering a 4-0 defeat at promotion-chasing Lincoln. Pompey were beaten 3-1 at Stadium MK last term, but goals from Tom Naylor and Ellis Harrison secured a 2-1 triumph when the sides met at Fratton Park back in October. TEAM NEWS Alex Bass (foot), Lee Brown (hamstring), Ellis Harrison (knee), Jordy Hiwula (ankle) and Michael Jacobs (knee) are all still sidelined. MK Dons defender Warren O’Hora is expected to miss the final weeks of the season with a foot injury, while Cameron Jerome and Louis Thompson are also unlikely to feature on Saturday. HEAD TO HEAD Overall Pompey: 4 wins MK Dons: 1 win 2 draws At Stadium MK Pompey: 1 win MK Dons: 1 win 1 draw OFFICIALS Referee: Martin Coy Assistants: Nicholas Cooper and Stephen Finch Fourth Official: Scott Williams BETTING Pompey are the 7/5 favourites with VBET to secure all three points, while the hosts can be backed at 21/10.
MK Dons Starting Lineup:- 13 Andrew Fisher 3 Dean Lewington 6 Harry Darling 4 Zak Jules 12 Ethan Laird 17 Matt O'Riley 8 David Kasumu 16 Andrew Surman 29 Matthew Sorinola 10 Scott Fraser 9 Will Grigg Substitutes 1 Lee Nicholls 5 Josh McEachran 11 Charlie Brown 18 Lasse Sørensen 20 Joe Mason 24 Jordan Houghton 27 jay Bird
One change to the Pompey line up is Harvey White coming in to replace Ben Close who has a groin injury. Our injury list is increasing all the time
Half time, and it's 1-0 to MK Dons. Charlie Daniels was booked in the 19th minute for a foul. In the 41st minute, a Dons player went down on the edge of the box after a challenge by Daniels, to win a penalty (fortunate to my mind!). Scott Fraser scored from the spot to give them the lead. Mk Dons are playing good possession football, but it seems to me that whenever Pompey have the ball, their players are continuously diving /falling to the ground in an attempt to win a free kick. It must be the way their manager coaches them to do, to break up play. Not a nice thing to see during a football match.
Half Time Match Stats:- Home Team: MK Dons ...........Away Team: Portsmouth Possession: Home 62% Away 38% Shots: Home 11 Away 6 Shots on Target: Home 2 Away 3 Corners: Home 1 Away 1 Fouls: Home 2 Away 11
Final whistle. 1-0 to the home side. Tom Naylor hit the crossbar in the 49th minute. We brought on George Byers and Rasmus Nicolaisen for Harvey White and Ryan Williams respectively in the 59th minute. Andy Cannon replaced Sean Raggett in the 76th minute. Jack Whatmough was red carded in the 81st minute for a bad challenge on an MK Dons player. George Byers was booked after 90 + 4 minutes for a soft foul. Dean Lewington was yellow carded earlier for MK. Pompey players are looking knackered !! We lose Jack Whatmough who will be banned for four matches as this was his second red card of the season. MK Dons are a talented side with their quick accurate passing game and deserved the three points, but as I said at half time, why all the diving / time wasting / theatricals that accompanies their game ?!.......
It might be a blessing in disguise to miss out on the play-offs completely so that action to refresh the squad can start immediately. The questions are as follows: 1. Will the Cowleys be offered a permanent contract? 2. If they are offered a permanent deal, Will they take it as the club seems to have surrounded itself in a girth of mediocrity yet again. Hope I am wrong and this.is my faulty perspective. 3. What definitely needs activating is our sourcing of young talent throughout the South and extending into the London área. We definitely need more players with an Afro-Caribbean background, who definitely seem to be very talented.
Final Match Stats:- Home Team: MK Dons .........Away Team: Portsmouth Possession: Home 59% Away 41% Shots: Home 13 Away11 Shots on Target: Home 2 Away 4 Corners: Home 4 Away 3 Fouls: Home 9 Away 19
As It Stands:- ...Team ...............P GD Pts 1 Hull .................42 40 82 2 Peterborough 41 34 79 3 Sunderland ....41 27 71 4 Lincoln City ...40 20 69 5 Blackpool .......40 18 68 6 Oxford Utd .....42 15 65 7 Portsmouth ....41 14 65 8 Charlton ..........40 .6 63
You can take Pompey away from Jackett, but you can't get rid of the Jackett from Pompey. Perhaps Woopert's can tell us the players out of contract at the end of the season. A considerable refresh is needed. I feel Curtis needs to move on as he seems to have stalled this year. Definite Championship.quality player so perhaps his agent needs to do some exploratory work as to.who would sign him. Are there any other Championship.quality players in our team? Johnson maybe.
I'm not certain re. names of players out of contract end of the season, but there are around a dozen of them !
That is a lot. How many are in the 22 squad, and how many are fringe players like the young Northern Irish winger? Perhaps finishing the season outside the play-offs would be the best so action can be taken straight away. First though, the managerial.situation needs resolving before then. Give the Cowleys a three year contract now so they can begin the process. I have already mentioned what needs to be done scouting wise. We need to unearth more Jamal.Lowe's who has found his form again and is leading Swansea to a play-off place.
