Pompey take on Aldershot at the Recreation Ground tomorrow evening looking to win their first FA Cup tie since the semi-final win over Tottenham back in 2010.
Team News
Paul Robinson returns from suspension after serving his one-match ban earned in the original tie for a second yellow card. Andy Awford has no new injury concerns ahead of the match but is likely to make changes after the defeat at Plymouth.
Shots manager Andy Scott is likely to be without the injured trio of defender Mark Phillips and midfielders Jaydon Gibbs and Jordan Roberts. Striker Josh Scott missed the original tie with a foot injury and it's not expected to heal in time for tomorrow's replay.
The Match
The defeat at Plymouth on Saturday was painful to watch and has Pompey fans worried about their team being knocked out of football's oldest club competition by a non-league side on national TV tomorrow evening.
There was no fight or creativity in the team and that has been the story of Portsmouth's season away from home so far, with many Shots fans sensing a famous scalp on their own turf and who could blame them?
Andy Awford needs to turn things around and he could start off with binning both the hapless Ben Chorley and the useless Nicky Shorey. Paul Robinson can replace the former and surely Dan Butler deserves his chance at left back against the club he was loaned to last season? He certainly cannot be any worse than his ex-England international colleague.
The attitude of the team has to be right and that could see one or two other players being brought back into the fold, too. Ryan Taylor might start considering he has been criminally under-used in recent times but the main thing is that the eleven players picked do a professional job having had the warning from Aldershot in the first tie that they are capable of playing some good football and will not give up lost causes.
This is a huge match for the Pompey manager as defeat to a non-league team would be humiliating and with people already seriously questioning his future, it might be a result which tips the fans over the edge much like the Scunthorpe defeat did for Guy Whittingham almost a year ago.
Pompey will meet Rochdale at Fratton Park for the second round tie after they beat Northampton tonight if they win tomorrow but given how incompetent this team's defence is and the lack of chances they create, that's a very big "if" with a cup upset on the cards.
Predicted Starting Line-Ups
Aldershot
GK: Phil SMITH
RB: Jaydon GIBBS
CB: Glenn WILSON
CB: Joe OASTLER
LB: Chris BARKER
RM: Joseph N'GUESSAN
CM: Mark MOLESLEY
CM: Kieron FORBES
LM: Jordan ROBERTS
CF: Dan HOLMAN
CF: Brett WILLIAMS
Pompey
GK: Paul JONES
RB: Joe DEVERA
CB: Jack WHATMOUGH
CB: Paul ROBINSON
LB: Dan BUTLER
RM: Jed WALLACE
CM: Danny HOLLANDS
CM: Nigel ATANGANA
LM: Ricky HOLMES
CF: Craig WESTCARR
CF: Ryan TAYLOR
Last Time: Aldershot 2 Portsmouth 4 (Hampshire Professional Cup - 01/02/1983)
Goals from Ernie Howe, Steve Aizlewood, Billy Rafferty and Alan Biley saw Pompey win this cup tie having been knocked out of the FA Cup by the same team earlier in the season.
My Prediction
This is a tough one to call due to not knowing what sort of team Awford is going to select. If it's anything like the team that played at Plymouth then Pompey will lose and even if the changes are made, confidence away from home is rubbish. However, there is enough talent in the squad to get through this tie, even if it has to be done the hard way.
Aldershot Town 1 Portsmouth 1 (Portsmouth win on penalties)