No Pompey Chimes for Clarets

Last updated : 06 December 2009 By Tony Scholes
Chris Eagles
Chris Eagles - our best player
Hopes were high after the performance against Villa that we could break that duck on the road with the two fixtures against lowly teams, but it is two more defeats we return home with and this one, against a very poor Pompey side, was a difficult one to take.

It was an early start for most of us for what is the longest journey of the season, made worse by the fact that kick off had been brought forward by two and a quarter hours for screening live on Sky television.

That meant a 5:00 a.m. departure for me ahead of a trouble free journey that saw us arrive at Fratton Park around ninety minutes or so before kick off. It's probably the most dilapidated of the Premier League grounds, in fact there is no probably about it. There have been many attempts at moving over the last few years but right now that's the furthest thing from the minds as the club once again hadn't been able to pay the wages on time.

Such is the situation that Arune Dindane was only cleared to play after a renegotiation of his transfer had been concluded. He was named in the side by the Doctor Death look-a-like Avram Grant who makes Trevor Francis look like Mr Happy.

Burnley had to make at least one change with captain Steven Caldwell suspended after his red card at West Ham but manager Owen Coyle resisted any temptation for further change in personnel, bringing in Kevin McDonald with Andre Bikey returning to the back four.

There was, however, a change in formation with Robbie Blake pushed further up in a 4-4-2 formation that saw Wade Elliott back on the right wing with Chris Eagles on the left.

Such was the situation, with David Nugent also unavailable, that one of Richard Eckersley, David Edgar or Brian Easton would be on the bench and surprisingly it was Easton meaning we'd two specialist left backs in our seven substitutes.

The opening exchanges lacked quality but both sides could have scored. Right in front of the Burnley fans there were real concerns at how easily the home forwards were getting opportunities from balls played down the middle whilst at the other end we were giving them their own problems with some good build up play.

We had chances, the most notable being one that fell to Steven Fletcher. Blake fed Elliott down the right hand side and the winger got in a good low cross. Fletcher got the better of the defender before making a real mess of a right foot shot.

I'd say we had the edge but then we'd discounted the very presence of Phil Dowd, the error strewn referee from Stoke. A cross from their right saw Clarke Carlisle blatantly fouled by a Portsmouth forward and as we all went up behind that goal for a free kick the hapless Mr Dowd blew.

I don't think anyone could quite believe it when he pointed to the spot, none of our players, not even any of the Portsmouth players, and certainly not the baffled Burnley fans behind that goal.

We'd all had the perfect view, but just to confirm I'd not missed something my phone went crazy with television watching Clarets sending me texts. "Shocking decision," "joke decision" and "appalling", they were the polite ones.

Once more Dowd had got it ridiculously wrong and this one was even worse than the Everton penalty. Dindane shouldn't have taken it apparently, and I can see why. It was a dreadful spot kick that was saved by Brian Jensen who was quick to gather an equally inept header from the rebound.

Bikey wanted a penalty of his own a few minutes later but Dowd, again with a fantastic view, failed to see the shirt pulling. Or did he just choose not to?

When the half time whistle blew it was goalless, the first time we've kept a clean sheet in the first half this season on the road.

We dominated at the start of the second half and but for two superb saves from young Bosnia and Herzegovina goalkeeper Asmir Begovic. After a well worked move the ball was laid back to McDonald who powered in a shot from outside the box, but the keeper made a good save.

He bettered that when he tipped a Fletcher shot round his left hand post. But by now the home side were offering little and it seemed only a matter of time before we finally got in front.

It didn't happen and then disaster struck. Five minutes past the hour mark they got down the left. We didn't deal with things very well, Elliott was too easily brushed off the ball and Hermann Hreidarsson was able to get into a shooting position with little challenge and Jensen failed to deal with the cross shot.

It was incredible; we were a goal down against surely the worst team in this league. Owen Coyle responded by replacing Robbie Blake and then Chris Eagles with Steven Thompson and Fernando Guerrero but I felt those changes took away all our creativity.

From then on we struggled to find anything and I don't recall us creating anything resembling a chance during the rest of the game. Portsmouth did, from a left wing free kick they got a cross over that a totally unmarked Dindane headed in from close range. Not for the first time in recent weeks we'd conceded a goal from a set piece situation with Bikey not dealing with his man.

You just couldn't believe it, we'd lost to this lot 2-0 and soon after came the final whistle and we all had to contend with Mike Oldfield as the home fans celebrated a rare win.

This really was a game we should have gone won. Winning games away from home in this league will be difficult and we've got to take the chances when they come. This one was one big chance not taken.

There were too many disappointing performances today but I did think with Blake and Eagles on the pitch we would continue to create. Eagles for me was our best player.

Back home now, and points needed before we go to Wolves.

On a personal note it was an enjoyable day. This week, as many know, has not been the easiest for me following a health scare. The response from Burnley fans has been superb and to add to all the messages over the previous days I lost count yesterday of those who came to ask how I was.

Thanks to every one of you, it is appreciated more than you can possibly know. And it all makes you realise just how special it is being a part of this great group of people, of being a Burnley fan.

Now let's just go and get some more wins.

The teams were;

Portsmouth: Asmir Begovic, Steve Finnan, Marc Wilson, Tal Ben-Haim, Hermann Hreidarsson, Hassan Yebda, Michael Brown, Jamie O'Hara, Tommy Smith (Nwankwo Kanu 59), Arune Dindane, Kevin-Prince Boateng (Hayden Mullins 90). Subs not used: Jamie Ashdown, Frederic Piquionne, Anthony Vanden Borre, Richard Hughes, Nadir Belhadj.
Yellow Cards: Kevin-Prince Boateng, Jamie O'Hara, Steve Finnan, Arune Dindane.

Burnley: Brian Jensen, Tyrone Mears, Clarke Carlisle, Andre Bikey, Stephen Jordan, Wade Elliott, Graham Alexander, Kevin McDonald, Chris Eagles (Fernando Guerrero 73), Robbie Blake (Steven Thompson 68), Steven Fletcher. Subs not used: Diego Penny, Michael Duff, Christian Kalvenes, Brian Easton, Joey Gudjonsson.
Yellow Cards: Andre Bikey, Tyrone Mears.

Referee: Phil Dowd (Stoke-on-Trent).

Attendance: 17,822.