Pompey will be looking to maintain their 100% record against Morecambe at Fratton Park tomorrow.
Team News
Ben Davies is out with a hamstring injury he sustained in the goalless draw at Crawley on Tuesday. Gareth Evans replaced him at right back that evening but Adam Webster is another option for that position. Kal Naismith is still out with a thigh injury.
Kevin Ellison and Ryan Edwards will be missing for the visitors after they were handed a three-match ban for their violent conduct after Morecambe's 1-0 defeat to Wycombe on Tuesday night. Jamie Devitt may return to the side but captain Peter Murphy is out with a long term injury.
The Match
Tuesday night's goalless draw was frustrating after Crawley played with ten men behind the ball for virtually the entire match and there is a feeling that Morecambe may do the same tomorrow.
If that is the case then Paul Cook's men will need to be more forward-thinking in their play than they were on Tuesday as all too often the players kept passing the ball backwards to attempt to find a way around the Crawley defence only to be closed down. The tempo needs to be raised, the movement up front needs to be a bit sharper and deliveries into the box need to be better.
That should come with time and thankfully Morecambe shouldn't be a side to cause too many problems with key man Ellison out and other promising players in Ryan Williams and Jack Redshaw sold to bigger clubs. Devitt, however, is a player who Cook knows well from his Chesterfield days and could cause problems whilst Aaron Wildig is the only player to have scored for the Shrimps so far this season.
Cook has a dilemma as to who replaces Davies at right back. Whilst Webster is an option he hasn't exactly performed well in that role in the past and should Evans be moved to right back then Adam McGurk could slot into the attack seamlessly, playing behind Matt Tubbs with Gary Roberts moving out wide.
Whilst Pompey fans have every right to be optimistic going into the match they should be reminded that the team had exactly the same amount of points at this stage last season having also dumped out higher league opposition in the League Cup as opposing managers where already proclaiming Pompey as champions of League Two.
Then Newport rolled into town, played a defensive, physical game at Fratton Park and escaped with a 1-0 win. Morecambe may well attempt to do the same although history is on Pompey's side as the visitors have lost 3-0 on both of their previous visits to Portsmouth.
Let's hope Pompey make it a hat-trick of victories tomorrow.
Predicted Starting Line-Ups
Pompey
GK: Brian MURPHY
RB: Gareth EVANS
CB: Christian BURGESS
CB: Matt CLARKE
LB: Enda STEVENS
DM: Michael DOYLE
DM: Nigel ATANGANA
RM: Gary ROBERTS
AM: Adam McGURK
LM: Kyle BENNETT
CF: Matt TUBBS
Morecambe
GK: Barry ROCHE
RB: Shaun BEELEY
CB: Adam DUGDALE
CB: Andy PARRISH
LB: Laurence WILSON
RM: Jamie DEVITT
CM: Aaron WILDIG
CM: Alan GOODALL
CM: Lee MOLYNEUX
LM: Andrew FLEMING
CF: Paul MULLIN
Last Time: Portsmouth 3 Morecambe 0 (League Two - 22/11/2014)
Pompey cruised to victory as Craig Westcarr scored in the first half then a header and a fine strike late on from Jed Wallace completed what was an emphatic victory for Andy Awford's men.
My Prediction
Pompey would have won on Tuesday had it not been for an incorrect offside decision so there's no reason to believe that Paul Cook's men shouldn't be victorious tomorrow, even if Morecambe do play for a draw.
Portsmouth 2 Morecambe 0