Portsmouth take on the most in-form team in League Two in York City at Fratton Park tomorrow.
Team News
Ben Chorley could return to the side as he looks to get over his Achilles injury whilst Rhys McCabe will make his debut in centre midfield after signing on loan from Sheffield Wednesday. Romain Padovani and Andy Barcham are likely to miss the match with respective calf and thigh injuries.
Nigel Worthington is unlikely to make any changes to his team as they have won their last four games, although strikers Wes Fletcher and Ryan Jarvis are pushing for recalls with both scoring in the reverse fixture.
The Match
It has been interesting to read Richie Barker's comments in the local rag this week as his popularity with Pompey fans continues to drop after another lacklustre performance at Fleetwood last week.
Pockets of fans were calling for him to go before Jed Wallace sparked his team into life and hopefully the showing during the last half hour of the previous match can be replicated as the players showed they are capable of playing some attacking football.
However, Pompey are up against currently the toughest team in the division. York have been transformed from relegation battlers to play-off contenders in recent weeks due to a run of eight matches unbeaten, six of those being wins.
Generally, York haven't been thrashing teams but their success has been built on a solid defence with an attack that is capable of taking the few chances they create. Remind you of a certain other team? The only difference is that Worthington seems to have instilled this tactic into his men better than Barker has into his.
With both teams looking to keep things tight, you can safely rule out a goalfest at Fratton Park tomorrow with so much pressure on both sides, Pompey in particular. Chorley's return would be much welcome given the manner in which the first and third goals were conceded at Fleetwood and you would think that York would win the match should the skipper not be available.
Eyes will also be on McCabe who will likely make his debut alongside Toumani Diagouaraga in the centre. He has been earmarked as the creative man that Pompey have been crying out for and so his ability to unlock a tight defence could be the difference between three points or one (or one and none for the pessimists/realists out there).
Spare a thought for poor Jack Whatmough who is likely to be dropped should Chorley be fit despite being Pompey's best performer last weekend. The manager's biggest decisions will be who to play up front and whether to start Wallace after his impressive substitute showing at Fleetwood.
Personally, if I were Richie Barker I wold throw caution to the wind and play three strikers from the outset. It would make for an entertaining game of football for a change and the crowd would certainly find it easier to get behind the team if they were cheering attack after attack rather than pointless sideways passes and hoofballs up to strikers with no pace.
But this is certainly wishful thinking and in honesty, any kind of win will do given Portsmouth's precarious position. Should his men lose again, Richie Barker will find that it's more than just a "small minority" of fans who will be baying for his blood after the game.
Predicted Starting Line-Ups
Pompey
GK: Trevor CARSON
RB: Daniel ALFEI
CB: Ben CHORLEY
CB: Bondz N'GALA
LB: Nicky SHOREY
RM: Jed WALLACE
CM: Toumani DIAGOURAGA
CM: Rhys McCABE
LM: Ricky HOLMES
CF: Jake JERVIS
CF: Michael DRENNAN
York
GK: Nick POPE
RB: Lanre OYEBANJO
CB: Keith LOWE
CB: John McCOMBE
LB: Ben DAVIES
RM: Russell PENN
CM: Adam REED
CM: Josh CARSON
LM: Will HAYHURST
CF: Michael COULSON
CF: Ryan BOWMAN
Last Time: Portsmouth 5 York City 2 (Division Four - 29/09/1979)
A brace for Colin Garwood and goals for Terry Brisley, Joe Laidlaw and the late Steve Aislewood saw Frank Burrows's men thrash the Minstermen.
My Prediction
Chorley has to play if Pompey are to keep a clean sheet and it's about time that one or two of our attacking players actually performed to something like they are capable of. York will keep things tight but Pompey will too. It won't be pretty.
Portsmouth 0 York City 0