January 1-9: Defeat At Burnley Before Thrashing Stockport In The Cup
Saturday 1: The weather in Burnley this afternoon is truly awful. It's snowing, freezing cold, windy and dark, but we're hoping Pompey's match will still go ahead. We'll be back later with full details of the match - if it gets that far.
Pompey's New Year got off to a disappointing start with a 2-1 defeat by Burnley in atrocious conditions at Turf Moor, but favourable results elsewhere mean the Blues remain at the top of the Division One table.
Burnley adapted more readily to the wintry conditions and took the lead in the 12th minute when Jackie Chew fired home a ball that was only partially cleared by Butler.
A moment of good fortune put Pompey on level terms after 19 minutes. George Bray sent a backpass wide of his own 'keeper for an own goal.
Conditions deteriorated further in the second half, with snow, sleet and rain being driven horizontally on a bitterly cold gale-force wind. Burnley scored the winner on 70 minutes through McLaren.
The final 15 minutes were played in very poor light, and many in the 31,045 crowd had given it up as a bad job long before the referee sounded the final whistle.
Pompey can now take a short breather from their relentless pursuit of the League title. Next week will see them turn their attention to the FA Cup, and the visit to Fratton Park of Stockport County of Division 3 (North).
Players of both sides have said that the conditions in the Burnley v Pompey game this afternoon were the worst they have ever played in. Billingham, the Burnley centre-forward, collapsed in the dressing room after the match and was taken to hospital. Match Summary: Burnley 2, Portsmouth 1
Bad weather was also a feature of the Pompey Reserves v Crystal Palace Reserves Combination Cup match at Fratton Park this afternoon. Despite the conditions a crowd of 5,500 turned out to see Pompey win 2-0. Both goals came from Duggie Reid. Match Summary: Portsmouth Reserves 2, Crystal Palace Reserves 0
Sunday 2: You can read Ranger's report on Pompey's New Year's Day defeat at Burnley, and we feel sure you'll want to see Olympian's description of an "amusing" incident during Pompey Reserves' match on a Fratton Park mud bath.
Thursday 6: Pompey expect to be able to once again field an unchanged team when they meet Stockport County in the 3rd round of the FA Cup at Fratton Park on Saturday. This means there will be no recall for Duggie Reid against his old club.
Pompey officials wish to remind supporters that there will be no cash admission to the south stand for Saturday'smatch against Stockport County. All seats have been sold in advance. Admission to the terraces will be by cash at the gate as usual.
Portsmouth secretary Mr Dan Clarke says he is confident of a big crowd for Pompey's cup tie against Stockport County on Saturday. Officials are hopeful of a turnout of around 35,000, despite the Division 3 (North) status of Pompey's opponents.
Friday 7: Stockport’s manager, Mr Bobby Marshall, says his team has "no special plan" going in to their meeting with Pompey in the third round of the FA Cup at Fratton Park tomorrow. "If we don't develop an inferiority complex we have a chance" he added.
The Pompey team to face Stockport County tomorrow will be: Butler, Rookes, Ferrier, Scoular, Flewin, Dickinson, Harris, Barlow, Clarke, Phillips, Froggatt.
With so much rain recently the Fratton Park surface can be described as "holding", and is liable to cut up early in the game.
Pompey Reserves travel to play Weymouth tomorrow in a friendly. The Reserves were due to go to Crystal Palace in the Combination Cup but the match has been postponed because Selhurst Park is being used by the Palace first team tomorrow.
An injury to wing-half Gordon Neave keeps him out of the Pompey Reserves side to face Weymouth tomorrow. Pompey Reserves: Humpston, Hindmarsh, Yeuell, Duggins, Bowler, Thompson, Gordon, Beale, Delapenha, Lawler, Evans.
Saturday 8: Peter Harris scored a hat-trick as Pompey ruthlessly swept aside the challenge of Stockport County to win 7-0 in their FA Cup third round clash at Fratton Park this afternoon.
Pompey went ahead after 21 minutes through Len Phillips. Harris extended the lead seven minutes later. Ike Clarke then netted four minutes before half-time to give the Blues a commanding lead at the interval.
Clarke notched his second goal - and Pompey's fourth - in the 65th minute, and Len Phillips headed the fifth just two minutes later. Right-back Phil Rookes left the field with an ankle injury, but Harris score twice late on to complete his treble.
Stockport put up a spirited fight throughout the match, but the gulf between the First Division leaders and the Division 3 (North) strugglers was always going to be too wide to bridge.
Pompey's hopes of pulling in a good-sized crowd for this cup-tie against lowly opponents were well founded. An excellent 33,590 filed through the Fratton Park turnstiles this afternoon.
Portsmouth supporters will now be counting the hours until the draw for the fourth round of the cup is made on Monday lunchtime, and some will no doubt be harbouring dreams of a Pompey league and cup double! Match Summary: Portsmouth 7, Stockport County 0
Sunday 9: There were plenty of goals to read about in last night's Football Mail. It finished Pompey 7 (SEVEN) Stockport County 0 in the big cup-tie at Fratton Park.
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