Portsmouth - 3 (Calridge 43. 73. Bradbury 61.)
Crystal Palace - 1(Linighan 22.)

Having soundly beaten Portsmouth in the home fixture, one could really have expected something better from this match, and for a little while it looked as though this might come about. The man that caused most of the problems for us was none other than the man that we lost so recently to Portsmouth, Lee Bradbury.

Despite the fact that the home side made all the running, it was Andy Linighan that opened the scoring with a powerful header that gave Andy Petterson no chance whatsoever. At least this time Andy is likely to keep the credit for his goal, as no-one else was in any position to claim it!

We were ahead, but still we were only being kept in the match due to a great display from Fraser Digby, who denied the opposition time and time again. The situation could not last though, and approaching the halfway mark Steve Claridge brought the home side back to level terms at the second attempt.

The score remained locked at 1-1 as the sides went to the break, and hope was still held for something from the game.

A blunder between Dean Austin and Linighan allowed Bradbury to steal in, and score a goal early in the second half, which was reminiscent of many of the goals that he scored for us, and suddenly we were on the back foot. A failure to clear the ball shortly afterwards led to Claridge completing the afternoon's "entertainment" when he scored from a narrow angle. Fraser did manage to keep the scoreline to manageable levels, for without him it would certainly have been much worse.

Palace have now dropped dangerously close to the relegation zone, though fortunately enough remains of this long season for them to turn things around. Promotion this term may well be a forlorn hope even at this early time, though any true Palace supporter may well be happy with survival this term, with an assault next season towards the Premiership.

Somehow though, we will all still live in hope!

Colin Pryce

Portsmouth: Andy Petterson, Jason Crowe, Matthew Robinson (Michael Panopoulos 79), Alan McLoughlin, Adrian Whitbread, Andy Awford, Sammy Igoe (Martin Phillips 79), Steve Claridge (Guy Whittingham 87), Lee Bradbury, Fitzroy Simpson, Thomas Thorgersen.

Substitutes not used: Michalis Vlachos, Aaron Flahavan.

Crystal Palace: Fraser Digby, Dean Austin, David Woozley, Hayden Mullins, Jamie Fullarton, Matthias Svensson, Andy Linighan, Simon Rodger, Fernando Der Ornelas, Terry Phelan, Brian Launders (Andrew Martin 52).

Substitutes not used: Matthew Gregg, Andrew Frampton, James Hibburt, David Lee.

Attendance: 13,018

Referee: Mr S Dunn (Bristol).