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If you listened carefully at Fratton Park today, you could hear the welcome sound of pennies dropping.
The superb atmosphere was a testament to the clubs willingness to listen and bring back the drums. It was also radically influenced by a full Milton End. The big clutch of Old Skool fans in the middle of it challenged the Fratton Ends supremacy in the noise department – and this again was due to the club listening and reducing prices. Its not enough yet but the club is clearly determined to work on this for next season.
The biggest clangs though were heard on the pitch. Paul Hart has set Pompey up to attack in recent home games but shown a reluctance to use the strikers most likely to break the deadlock. Twice in a week now Pigeon and Dindane have started together and put the opposition defence to the sword. Kanu was introduced to great effect in both games and showed he still has the capacity to hurt defences with his close control and calmness in the box, even if he makes Prosinecki look like Usain Bolt.
We not only set out to win but we actually selected and introduced players capable of doing it, and looked a really good team as a result. A third clean sheet in a week was welcome too.
The game started as it meant to go on with Pompey constantly pressing the woeful Wiganers 'so-called' defence with shots, crosses, corners, free kicks. Roberto Martinez' Wigan side bore a striking resemblance to his Swansea side in only one respect; they dive all over the place and Alan Wiley just wasn't having any. It lead to the opening goal as a Wiganer dived theatrically, Wiley waved play on and Brown slipped it through to Dindane who outpaced Melchiot and clipped it over Kirkland into the net. A superb finish and Fratton Park was rocking.
Before half time, Dindane cleverly slipped Pigeon through and he ran from near the half way line into the box, defenders trailing in his wake as he burnt them off for pace and smashed it through Kirklands legs and into the net. The only first half concern was an injury to Finnan who went off to be replaced by Ben Haim coming across from left back with Belhadj coming on. It gave Pompey an even more attacking look and feel, without Wigan ever looking likely to exploit any frailties it might create.
Half time beckoned and we had yet to see any kind of attack from Wigan, and it seemed odds on that Martinez would make a couple of changes and send them out to get stuck into us.
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Whatever he did it made no difference at all as Pompey continued to simply remove the ball from their possession every time they got it and attack again and again. It was like taking candy from a baby.
Pigeon went down and ended up leaving the action on a stretcher, (although he is apparently ok), and good job too because this bloke is a forward who can score the odd goal. Whenever he plays, the guy who plays with him always looks better for it.
Kanu came on and was simply showbiz. A great move down the right with another Wigan player collapsing with no-one near him, Yebda taking the ball and rolling it to the effervescent O'Hara, who was sheer quality throughout, and he slipped it back to Kanu. The old man effortlessly controlled the ball and stroked it across the face of goal where, shock-horror, a forward, Dindane, was arriving to pass it into the back of the net. Jubilation unconfined all around the ground. Pompey were home and dry, and began to put on a show of tremendous passing, control and movement. Kanus sublime link up play deserved further reward and got it when he took the ball and ran across the penalty spot inviting a careless challenge, which he duly received. Alan Wiley pointed to the spot and Dindane sent the goal keeper the wrong way for a hat-trick. I had texted a lot of people who were en-route to Hull last week that Dindane would score a hat-trick for us. One week on......good job I am not a gambling man because this happens to me all the time.
A quick word for Tal Ben Haim who was absolutely awesome today as well. Moving to right back he was sensational, and didn't allow Wigan a kick.
So it's a big well done all round to Pompey today. Crowd excellent, drums back, Milton End full, the right team selected, 3 points and superb attacking football.
Hart finally plucked up his courage to live like a lion, and how his team roared for him. Well done that man. Now lets keep it going.
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