Pompey Women!!

Yes, I've been following them on Twitter all season and they've been very prolific infront of goal. I was gonna create a thread about this for a while but didn't want to jinx them. This is actually the first season there's no playoffs for the north and south winners so it's good timing for Portsmouth. After winning the league but not getting promoted in 2014, would have been a travesty if that happened again. Though the whole system has always been a travesty.

I actually attended a women's game back in October I think it was, away to Rugby. It was a tight game, finished 1-0 with a great goal by Portsmouth. Also it was neat to see the shirts now have the players' names on the back which wasn't the case when I was more involved with the club 10 or 11 years ago. Surprisingly Rugby had their players' names on the back of their shirt, which I definitely hadn't expected as the Rugby men's team are very low down the football pyramid.

I'm planning to go to Cheltenham away tomorrow which isn't that far from here. Of course, being a women's team they don't technically play in Cheltenham but a small village on the outskirts called Bishops Cleeve. Only a 20 or so minute walk from the stadium though.

 

So firstly it turns out there are two stations called Cheltenham spa in Cheltenham. One's the heritage one. That's the one that was a 20 minute walk from the stadium. The actual station is an hour and a half away... Anyhow

The match finishes 3-2 to Portsmouth. In manner similar to the Barnsley game on Tuesday, Cheltenham took the lead twice. But Portsmouth deserved their win overall.

Players to watch out for next season:

Portsmouth's number 12 Sophie Querk. Fast, skins players for fun and delivers a mean cross. She also got two assists.

And hat trick hero Ella Humphrey. I mean any player who scores a hat trick is one to look out for. Though I didn't realize she'd scored a hat trick til I checked Twitter after the game. There was no announcer and boxes can be quite congested.

 

Portsmouth won their latest match 10-1 against the terribly named London bees, formerly barnet. Who were in the championship themselves not too long back

 

Portsmouth women have announced that they are going professional, after being semi-pro this season.

The South coast derby next season should be tasty.

 

So Portsmouth women have been signing various players to professional contracts, today came the one I was waiting for Sophie Querk. After how she terrorized the Cheltenham defence last season she left quite an impression on me, she seems a good signing!

Sadly Reading have withdrawn from the league which would have been a relatively local away game to go to. At least there's still Birmingham away to go to.

Maybe I'll do something bonkers like Durham away to make up for my train from Carlisle being cancelled last season...

 

So Portsmouth women played their first championship game and lost 3-0 against Charlton. Unlike the Southampton women's thread I won't be strangely silent when they lose, but honestly I forgot to post about it.


But Portsmouth play their first ever championship home game today at West Leigh Park against Durham. So for all you people that live locally to Portsmouth, make sure you go!

 

Portsmouth lost against Durham 3-0 though in fairness the 3rd goal came in the 10th minute of stoppage time (not sure what happened to cause that amount of stoppage time).

Possibly going to Birmingham v Portsmouth next Sunday so will be able to provide more insight hopefully

 

On the way to st Andrews. It's chucking it down with rain and there's no trains to Birmingham new Street. I feel like the universe is telling me not to go to this game.

But I'm committed now

 

One nil to Birmingham. They've been the better side but we've had a few nice passing moments.

The goal was given away by a risky, unneeded clearance, a cross field diagonal pass that was intercepted. Even before the goal I was like you didn't need to do that.

 

Half time. 1-0. We had a decent chance towards the end of the half, a couple of shots.... Birmingham have been mostly comfortable without creating many clear cut chances

 

2-0. Decent cross from the right met with an equally decent header

 

3-0. A decent spell of possession then we passed it back to the keeper who immediately gave it away.

Only one goal hasn't been self-inflicted.

 

4-0. Corner which was finished with a decent header.

 

Full time. 4-0.

Their keeper gave away possession near the end and from a tight angle we hit the crossbar.

Though played 3, lost 3, conceded 10 and scored none is not great

 

Apologies for the delay. We lost 2-0 to Newcastle. At least we only conceded 2 goals this time, so a slight improvement.

Then on Wednesday, because Portsmouth FC are apparently big believers in gender equality, Portsmouth women matched the men with a 6-1 defeat to West Ham in the league cup. First goal of the season, but can't be too excited because it was a penalty....

The question is, which side will win a game first, the women or the men? My money is on the men.

 

So I know I said I wasn't gonna be like the Saints women's team thread and only post when we're winning, but posting loses every week gets a bit depressing... Though we're undefeated in the last two weeks as we haven't played.

Tomorrow is a big relegation 6 pointer though as we play Sheffield United who have only 3 points, we have a game in hand, which clearly isn't tomorrow... Coincidentally I believed Sheffield were the team that we lost to in the 2014 playoff...

So with the game being a huge one, make sure you get down to West Leigh Park as we need a 12th... person. Based on the rest of the season, we certainly can't do it with just 11. I would but it would be like a 4 hour train journey each way, and Sunday services are horrible at times.