Match Day Thread Pompey vs Rotherham

With the Premier League and Championship suspended for international football, Pompey make their television debut for the season today as they play host to Rotherham live on Sky Football (which is litterally what the channel is called now).

Pompey head into this game sitting 15th in the table having emerged from the first month of League football with a record of 1 win, 1 loss and 2 draws giving them 5 points with a -1 goal difference. Brett Pitman leads the goalscoring charts for the club with 3 goals closely followed by Jamal Lowe with 2 then Naismith and Chaplin with 1 each.

Rotherham sit one place above the relegation zone in 20th with 3 points in the bag and goal differance of 0. Their record for the initial month of the season reads at 1 win and 3 losses. Rotherham's top goalscorer is Kieffer Moore (on loan from Ipswich) with 4 goals, Jamie Proctor, Joe Newel and Anthony Forde share second place with 1 goal each.

Being so early in the season there's not really much that can be made of these stats.

Pompey's team will likely include their new signings Oliver Hawkins, Stuart O'Keefe and Matty Kennedy (loan from Cardiff) and Damien McCrory (loan from Burton) while Rotherham will likely give debuts to their new signings Manny Onariase, Marek Rodak (loan from Fulham) and Richie Towell (loan from Brighton).

 

Former Pompey players in the Rotherham squad are:

Joe Mattock - spent 7 games on loan at Pompey in 2011/12
Ryan Williams - a product of Pompey's youth development who looked to be an exiting prospect in 2011/12 when he was sold to Fulham

Former Pompey Manager Richie Barker is also at Rotherham as assistant manager.

 

I hope Wooperts...... by the time you read this post, that you had a fantastic afternoon at FP and buzzin' from the excitement of the match!

 

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Neil Allen‏Verified account@pn_neil_allen 8m8 minutes ago

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   #Pompey team news. O'Keefe & Hawkins in for debuts. System looks like 3 at back. Kennedy and McCrory on bench. Rose & Bennett not in squad.
   
   
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   This is looking good.
   
   
   
   
   

 

Apparently Stuart Pearce is at the match again today.

 

I'm not going to do play-by-play this week running down everything that happens, but I will comment on the game as I watch it. Sorry if somebody out there will miss the play-by-play coverage but I dont feel like doing it this week.

 

Not sure about Lowe at Wingback. I dont know if he'll be up to defensive duties.

 

Dangerous area to give away a free kick. Right on the egde of the box.

 

Nothing came of it at least. Went wide.

 

Looks windy at Fratton but not too wet.

 

Finally worked it into the box but no one was there.

 

Good freekick from Pompey, just not quite good enough.

 

First real chance of the game from Pitman but he hit it over the bar.

 

Rotherham get a shot away in the box but it goes high and over.

 

I'd say Rotherham look like they're better motivated at the moment. They're trying harder to win lose balls and pressure Pompey when we have the ball.

 

Rotherham are on top at the moment.

 

Haunstrup had a shot after a decent cross and it's deflected for a corner.

 

Hawkins wasn't far wide with a long shot.

 

Rotherham take the lead. Taylor scores for them. It's not surprising. They've been the better side.