I, like many other Portsmouth fans, have grown up knowing our inability to read the script. Admittedly I'm a spring chicken compared to most but even in very recent history we've had major disappointments. To name but three;
1) We need to beat Crystal Palace at home to send them down and secure our safety; we lose 4-2
2) We need to beat a Sheffield Wednesday team (who were eventually relegated) at home to secure promotion; we lose 2-1 with the last kick of the game
3) We face a Southampton team off the back of a 5-2 thrashing by Watford and without a league win under Wigley; we lose 2-1
Now it would be lying to say we've been entirely hard done by lately. Manchester United twice, Liverpool twice, promotion, FA Cup Quarter Final - these are good times and we've had far more cause to celebrate than be woeful in the last few years. The dark days of home defeats to Stockport, Grimsby and Crewe in front of a half empty Fratton seem like a different world, regardless of the fact it was only five years ago.
But even so a script so perfectly written as Sunday afternoon usually means one thing for us, and that is that we'll blow it. In the most spectacular way possible. Just look at all the factors to be taken into consideration;
-Redknapp's return
-The chance to hammer a nail into their coffin
-A chance to secure the title of "Kings of the South Coast" by putting them mathematically out of reach
-All but securing our own Premiership safety for another year
Before the game I said I'd take a draw simply because defeat was too horrible to think about. Anything would certainly be better than nothing, and a draw would do more for us than for them. Nerves were hardly restricted to just me - on both sides, fans worried about the possibility of a drubbing. But who could ever imagine the way it went? Five goals within half an hour and four of them to the home team.
Even in my most optimistic dreams I never thought it would happen. Even in my most optimistic dreams I never thought we would tear them apart so easily. I never believed Niemi would save his most error-strewn performance in the Premiership for us. I never believed I would see such single-minded attacking focus from a Portsmouth team, such will to win a match. I never believed that Southampton were as genuinely bad as their fans have been saying.
But they were, and then a bit more.
Some people were a bit disappointed we shut up shop in the second half. Personally I thought it was hilarious. In the first half we tore them to pieces and we could've been six up by the break, and they would've had no right to complain. In the second forty-five it was like a training session - a bit of keep ball. In their local derby, 4-1 down and supposedly desperate for every point, how soul destroying must it have been for those in red and white to see their side not even able to touch the ball, let alone fashion a decent chance - one Quashie long-shot aside.
Aah yes, Quashie. The man who left Fratton Park to link up with his old gaffer must've been wondering what he'd let himself in for after trudging off the pitch following a poor game. Dominated by Richard Hughes throughout (including a couple of great lunges), he managed to fit in a classic 35 yarder into the Milton End and must surely wonder why he didn't exercise a bit of patience in his contract negotiations as he would no doubt still be featuring in our first team, rather than staring trips to Luton and Hull in the face.
I realise that what I've written is patchy. It's fragmented and it's a bit all over the place. But that's just the way my mind is about this match. I didn't want to write anything when I got in yesterday because a) I was still emotional about the whole affair, and b) I had had too much to drink. I thought a boring day at work would let me get my head together and I'd be able to write something composed, witty and incisive. Instead, you get my insane ramblings - elated, bemused, and yet still pinching myself.
A record win over the old enemy. Alain Perrin - regardless of what happens now - has secured his position as Portsmouth legend. Come to think of it, so has Harry Redknapp - takes us up, keeps us up, goes to Southampton, practically takes them down and lets us walk all over them. Cheers 'Arry!
And now I'm just waiting a couple of days before my "Portsmouth vs Southampton April 24th" DVD turns up, and I can watch the whole thing again! FOR HOURS!
Move over January 3rd, 1988 - we've got a new favourite.