10/09/05: Matchday #5: Everton 0 Pompey 1
Everton was the last team Pompey fans wanted to be going to after a poor start considering how lucky they always seem to get against us. I certainly wasn't expecting anything from this game but Everton hadn't had the best of starts either and with a win we would leapfrog them in the table. Vukic, Diao and Dario Silva all played part as Pompey put on a good display against The Toffees. Our winner had a great sense of irony around it as Duncan Ferguson would put through his own net from a corner to score us the winner. Payback for that 94th Osman winner last season and didn't we enjoy it!
17/09/05: Matchday #6: Pompey 1 Birmingham City 1
Following the win against Everton this game was a great oppurtunity to spark off a decent run of results. Things looked good when Lua Lua put Pompey ahead early on via a cheeky tap in at the near post from a corner. That lead wouldn't last long however as Jermaine Pennant would whip in a dangerous free kick met by Peter Crouch's twin Jiri Jarosik just minutes after. Birmingham would be reduced to ten men soon after when Nicky Butt decided to stupidly kick out at Dario Silva in the box whilst setting up for a set piece however we didn't take the initiative and never looked like winning this game as Birmingham looked comfortable in defence and limited Pompey to few half-chances. Frustration settled in through the aftermath as Pompey reflected on what could have been. Still without a home win but look on the bright side, we weren't in the drop zone and at least we had an easy tie in the Carling Cup against dire League One opposition that we would coast through eh?
20/09/05: Carling Cup Round 2: Gillingham 3 Pompey 2 (AET)
Oh dear...
In what was probably the most embarassing cup defeat since Leyton Orient Pompey produced a gutless performance devoid of any real quality along with some awfully embarassing contributions from Jamie Ashdown in the process of this cup defeat. It should have been comfortable for us when Gary O'Neil scored only for Ashdown to throw the ball straight to Darren Byfield right before half time to gift Gillingham an equaliser. Once again, we should have wrapped it up after Matty Taylor buried a penalty in the second half but Jamie Ashdown wanted to make it difficult for us. To be fair he was a bit unlucky as Byfield's shot hit the post and bounced off his back and into the net but it was still a red-faced moment. Those moments would continue as we were awarded a penalty that goal machine Toddy would surely score? Oooops... cue extra time, a winner for Gillingham and Pompey to be rightfully booed off the pitch by the travelling support after what was a shocking performance without any determination at all.
24/09/05: Matchday #7: Bolton Wanderers 1 Pompey 0
Things would get worse in the league as Bolton predictably won at The Reebok. Despite Pompey playing some intricate stuff we lacked a cutting edge and for the majority of the game our defence coped with Bolton's long ball very well... apart from the (offside) Kevin Nolan overhead kick obviously. What this game might be more memorable for is the antics of Alain Perrin. Brian Priske is pulled up for a foul throw and in response Perrin "does a Rooney" and by that I don't mean run onto the pitch and score a 30 yard screamer but instead sarcastically applaud the referee in what could be comedy moment of the season. Perrin would later be let off for this by the FA but he wouldn't be let off by the fans for yet another defeat.
By now the season was getting frustrating for Pompey fans who were cursing the early cup exit and winless home run to date. However October contained fixtures that we could win and put this previous garbage behind us.
Premiership Table After Matchday #7
15th: Aston Villa: 6pts
16th: Portsmouth: 5pts
17th: Fulham: 5pts
18th: West Brom: 5pts
19th: Everton: 3pts
20th: Sunderland: 1pt