Boing boing

Last updated : 16 May 2005 By Keith Allman

I was a bit unsure how to approach this post-match discussion of the many and numerous events that unfolded at The Hawthorns yesterday, so I'm going to split it into two for your delight and delectation. Part one will be something rather rare amongst all match reports following yesterday's events; I'm actually going to talk about the game and player performance. Controversial, one might say, but given how there was actually a football match I deemed it wise.

Part two is more to do with the day itself and will probably result in all-out gloating. Ha!

THE MATCH
It's hard to form too many opinions given how our season ended after we beat Southampton 4-1. From that moment we were safe and it's all, perhaps inevitably, been downhill from there. Yesterday's game reminded me very much of our last away trip to Manchester City; opposition with more to play for whilst we just went through the motions. To our credit we were a lot better yesterday than we were at The City of Manchester Stadium, where we were

just plain rubbish. In the first half we played some nice stuff and had it not been for the fact Fuller couldn't score in a brothel probably would've gone in one goal up. In fact, over the course of the whole game I'd say that a draw would've been a fair result but we never really went "all out", as it were, and didn't create too many chances.

Keeno - full debut

Keene made his full Premiership debut and didn't look out of place, despite the big occasion unfolding around him. He forced the keeper into a decent save and showed some nice touches and, crucially, seems full of enthusiasm. One minute on the right wing, one minute on the left, then suddenly popping up up front - he's certainly keen, as his name might suggest. The midfield and defence were fairly solid and relatively untroubled all match, and other than the two occasions when West Brom scored, plus once in the first half when Earnshaw got in behind, there wasn't much between the two sides. I genuinely believe if we had had something to play for then we probably could've got a point or more yesterday; our hosts were not on top of their game.

And finally, a word for Jamie Ashdown. I know he's everyone's favourite just because he's young and English, and I know he's the magical Teflon Man - criticism just slides off him. But he made yet ANOTHER mistake yesterday, this time letting the ball slip under his body from Earnshaw's shot. Lucky for him that yet again it'll be overlooked due to the greater ramifications of his actions, but it's a surefire sign that we need a goalkeeper in the "Shaka" mould - someone reliable and steady. After all, in 100 games Shaka made perhaps two mistakes; Chalkias has made three or four whilst Ashdown has made seven or eight. But that's a discussion for another day (or next week, when there's nothing else to talk about).

THE DAY
Obviously there was a lot of talk about the Baggies/Pompey love-in pre-match, and personally I never thought I'd sing along to Albion songs. I also said pre-match that there was no way I could ever cheer a goal scored against us; what's more, I firmly believed I would never do the "boing boing" business just because no-one can do that and look sane/keep their dignity.

But do you know what? I did all of the above.

A few thousand happy people

Even now, looking back, it seems weird that I cheered an opposition goal. Time, money, effort, blood, sweat and tears - it's all been poured into my time supporting Portsmouth. And we conceded a goal, usually a surefire sign for much swearing, and I celebrated. At that time, it meant they leapfrogged out of the drop zone at the expense of our near and dear neighbours, and sometimes you have to make sacrifices for the greater good. Yesterday wasn't about us, it was about West Brom and Southampton. Amusing, none-the-less, that some Southampton fans complained about us "deliberately throwing the game"; I hate to be the ones to inform them that even if we had won they still would've gone down.

People reading this might think that sounds quite small-minded and pathetic, and that it makes me out to be bitter and have a chip on my shoulder. And yes, I'll willingly admit that I AM bitter. Why shouldn't I be? As long as I've grown up we've been playing second fiddle to Southampton. They've always been in the league above and what's more have been even more irritating by the fact they haven't done ANYTHING with their higher positioning, merely survived. Sat there. All the while we've been scratching around for survival at the arse-end of the league. Finally, after years of suffering and having to be on the receiving end of the gloating and boasting, it's our turn. For any Southampton fans reading this, 1) ha! you're going down and 2) this is probably hard to understand. But just wait five or so years if you don't come back up, and we stay in the top flight all that time. Then you might begin to understand what it's like to labour and struggle in obscurity whilst your rivals get splashed around the media, frequently on national television and well known for doing NOTHING.

Not funny. Honest.

Still, enough of that. What I'll remember forever from yesterday was the atmosphere and the banter between both sets of fans; it was a proper love-in. When the Baggies players came back out there were West Brom fans in the Pompey end and vice versa, fans from both sides swapping scarves and shirts, fans from both sides hugging and shaking hands. Bless, it's all happy and fuzzy. Of course if it wasn't for Southampton going down I doubt many Portsmouth fans would've been quite so delighted and welcoming but yesterday was a unique situation and one which I seriously doubt will ever be repeated at this club, certainly as long as I'm alive. The noise from all four sides of the ground was fantastic and to see 30,000 or so people leaving a football ground, all with huge smiles on their faces and happily walking side by side, was a pleasant sight to behold. Especially with all the bad press that football fans get.

I have to admit to being delighted that West Brom stayed up, too. I'm not so sure if they deserved it having seen them twice this season - they were poor at Fratton and poor yesterday too - but I felt for them when it became clear with quarter of an hour to go that they were going down. The way they got behind their team was second to none and the scenes at the final whistle were tremendous; it was marvellous to be a part of the day. It makes

those midweek trips to places like Everton all the more worthwhile when you get an away day that will live on in the memory for all the right reasons.

I could ramble on endlessly with no real shape or point for so much longer, but unless you were one of the lucky 2,700 Pompey fans at the game it's almost impossible to put the feelings into words (there goes my nomination for "Descriptive Journalist of the Year"). At least in the end all of us - whether at the Hawthorns, at home on tv or listening hundreds of miles away on the radio - can revel in the fact that despite a ridiculously messed up season we STILL survived, and now we are - without debate - kings of the coast.