Team

The top one I don't think I need to comment on in too much detail; we all know the script, we all know the story, and it'll be something to take to the grave as a day of immense joy, comedy, and downright justice. The beating of a Manchester United side who threatened to rip us apart for quarter of an hour was rather satisfying, given how it was the second time we'd beaten them within the calendar year; and Perrin's first match against Charlton was an exciting game of football with plenty of goals, excitement, and not to mention two crucial late strikes to give us three points.

Worst home match of the season
1) Portsmouth 1 Manchester City 3
2) Portsmouth 0 Blackburn 1
3) Portsmouth 1 Aston Villa 2

All games we lost, all games we could and should have won. The Villa game was fantastically boring, we needed a penalty to score and of course we lost. The Blackburn game was dull, niggly, constantly broken up by the referee and of course we lost. Manchester City brought the curtain down on the Redknapp era with a marvellous defeat, one of our worst performances of recent times, freezing cold and tipping it down with rain and - as if you didn't know already - we lost.

Best away match of the season
1) Liverpool 1 Portsmouth 1
2) Bolton 0 Portsmouth 1
3) Crystal Palace 0 Portsmouth 1

Shock! Horror! We only won two games away from home this season and neither of them are number one! There's a couple of reasons for this; I wasn't AT the Bolton game so I can hardly stick it up top, and Palace was just too cold and the game just too boring to win any sort of award. Not least when kick off was seemingly endlessly delayed. Either way three points is nothing to be sniffed at so on both occasions good enough to see them in the top three. But there was just something about going to a place like Anfield and getting a result, especially when all the Scousers were streaming out with a couple of minutes to go, giving their "friendly abuse" and thinking they had the game sewn up. Taylor, Dudek flap, LuaLua, have some of that.

Worst away match of the season
1) Southampton 2 Portsmouth 1 (both)
2) Watford 3 Portsmouth 0
3) Aston Villa 3 Portsmouth 0

I couldn't really choose between the two derby defeats, so I stuck them both as number one. The league match we were expected to win considering form and still threw away a one goal lead, whilst the last minute penalty defeat at the hands of Redknapp at the cup game was a bitter, bitter pill to swallow. Elsewhere, playing one up front against a team in the league below at Watford and subsequently getting tonked was hardly an experience I'd wish to repeat, and being 3-0 down at half time at Villa Park and Harry showing once again that "there's no such thing as Plan B" was equally distressing. The 2-1 defeat at Everton was on the outskirts of this award, as you hear about in the next.

The "daylight robbery" award
1) Everton 2 Portsmouth 1
2) Portsmouth 3 West Bromwich Albion 2
3) Portsmouth 1 Bolton 1

Let's just get this straight. The second half at Everton barely had a single stoppage, and yet STILL two minutes of added time were signalled. We'd battled superbly and deserved our point; yes, we'd been up against it and on the defensive a fair amount, but dug in and were set to take something home. Then, with the clock on 92 minutes and 40 seconds, a previously silent Goodison Park suddenly explodes as if they've won the Premier League, Champions League and Grand National at once as Osman scores a jammy winner. Seconds later the final whistle is blown and I and a meagre 263 others go home angry. Still, on two other occasions we were the ones laughing in the stands - 2-1 down against West Brom coming into the last ten minutes, the introduction of Berkovic changed the game as two LuaLua goals robbed the Baggies of anything and sealing an unlikely comeback. As for Bolton, the fact our goal came off Yakubu's face and in one of our few attacks could've been more irritating for the visitors had they not only needed one point for European qualification.

Dullest game of the season
1) Birmingham 0 Portsmouth 0
2) Portsmouth 1 Gillingham 0
3) Manchester City 2 Portsmouth 0

The Birmingham game had 0-0 written all over it and but for a Linvoy Primus goal-line clearance I can't really remember much else happening. The Gillingham game I can't even remember at all, and I include who scored our goal. It could've been Peter Storrie for all I know, although I get the feeling I'd probably remember if he'd suddenly vaulted out of the director's box and planted one in at the back stick. Still at least we scored, so it can't be the most boring by virtue of net-rustling action. The Manchester City game was over after quarter of an hour, although at least we had a Rodic shot on target to almost celebrate. Wahoo!

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