This was a 'needle match' for sure. Not because it is a derby in the true sense - after all Palace and Saints are the respective bete noirs for these south coast neighbours.
No. It had needle because clearly Brighton and Hove Albion had got well and truly up the collective noses of the Pompey team during last season's FA Cup third round tie at the Withdean.
Back in January, Dave Kitson had been sent off early and Pompey crashed out to their then League 1 rivals 3-1.
On Saturday we got to see just what upset the Pompey players so much. Brighton's players whine, grizzle, go down easily and generally make a meal of anything going. In free-kick terms they are a selling club and against Pompey they had a referee, in Mr Swarbrick, who was buying everything going.
Sour grapes? Not at all. If only Pompey's supposedly 'experienced' professionals could match relatively fresh-faced Albion's know-how. The truth is Pompey were, to use the vernacular, f***ed up, without Brighton's players having to anything so demeaning as 'getting into them'.
This performance was far more worrying than the reverse against Barnet. Brighton were average at best, but buoyed by the particular confidence of a team used to winning, they snaffled a goal against the run of play on the stroke of half time and rarely looked like losing it.
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That is until the sixth of the five stoppage time minutes. Greg Halford looped another hopeful ball into the box and a Brighton arm punched it clear. To be fair the ref didn't hesitate and Pompey had their get-out-of-jail card.
Up stepped skipper Liam Lawrence, who had been particluarly vocal pre-match about 'settling scores' as well as vocal during the match regularly berating the referee for his lassitude. His spot kick thumped against the post and Tal Ben Haim failed to convert the rebound and the chance of a point evaporated. Kevin Prince-Boateng-style Lawrence remained prone in the penalty area. Pride comes before a fall, I suppose...
One one level Pompey probably deserved a point from the game. Despite a disjointed performance, they carved out a couple of decent chances which on another day might have gone in. A neat early backheel from Kanu set up David Norris whose shot arrowed just wide.
The former Ipswich midfielder had an even better chance in the last ten minutes when a quick free-kick found him free in the penalty area, but his hasty shot on the turn lacked composure and flew over the bar.
That said, there was never a time where you felt Pompey were in charge of the game. Instead, Brighton stuck to their policy of trying to keep the ball and duck and dive when the occasion presented itself. In consequence, Albion collected free-kicks, while Pompey collected yellow cards.
Five more bookings today to add to the five at the Riverside and three in midweek against Barnet, suggests Steve Cotterill's side hasn't lost its ill-disciplined streak. While last season it might have been excused by the 'world's against us' mentality soldering together a squad operating in trying circumstances, now it smacks of petulance.
Of course, things might be different if Pompey were not labouring to beat even Barnet, let alone Brighton. The team lacks a combination of pace and width. Once again 17-year-old sub Ryan Williams looked like the only player who could show a full back a clean pair of heels.
Elsewhere, Pompey have players whose speeds range from pedestrian to, in Kanu's case the longer the game went on, virtually stationary. Throw in the fact that both Hayden Mullins and Joel Ward are struggling to match the high standards set last season and Pompey have become a team which is too easy to defend against when playing at home. Norris has struggled to fire on all cylinders in two home matches and Luke Varney sometimes looks isolated wide on the left.
It is still early days, but Pompey look like a side in need of a dose of youthful energy. The signing of Benjani, announced to popular acclaim pre-match, will bring the latter in spirit at least. One hopes the body hasn't weakened too much. We will gloss over the fact that he has been a free-agent since the beginning of July and only this week was considering signing short-term for Conference side Stockport. If he could be at Fratton Park to be introduced to the crowd, surely he could have been signed in time to play, like fellow trentagenarian Christian Dailly last week?
Since April Pompey haven't won a match and have scored just once at home since March 12, losing four and drawing just three of seven matches at Fratton Park in the process. That is a dismal record by any standard and fans have a right to be upset.
Pompey are charging top-dollar prices in the Championship and, despite being in charge since early June, CSI's management team has failed to deliver even a stadium clock that works, let alone a competitive squad worthy of the season and match-day ticket money.
The brutal truth is Pompey sold just 14,000 tickets to home fans for one of the more attractive fixtures of the season. That tells its own story: a trip to Fratton Park these days is simply not worth the money.
Brighton, Southampton and Tuesday's visitors Reading are about to leave poor old Pompey far behind in the next nine months unless the club gets its act together soon. The clock it ticking. At least one is...
What I liked: The flag-waving entrance organised and orchestrated by the Fans' Conference was spectacular.
What I hated: Some fans booing Dave Kitson when he came on. Just what is that likely to achieve?
Man of the Match: Jamie Ashdown. Looks like some serious competition has improved his game
No. It had needle because clearly Brighton and Hove Albion had got well and truly up the collective noses of the Pompey team during last season's FA Cup third round tie at the Withdean.
Back in January, Dave Kitson had been sent off early and Pompey crashed out to their then League 1 rivals 3-1.
On Saturday we got to see just what upset the Pompey players so much. Brighton's players whine, grizzle, go down easily and generally make a meal of anything going. In free-kick terms they are a selling club and against Pompey they had a referee, in Mr Swarbrick, who was buying everything going.
Sour grapes? Not at all. If only Pompey's supposedly 'experienced' professionals could match relatively fresh-faced Albion's know-how. The truth is Pompey were, to use the vernacular, f***ed up, without Brighton's players having to anything so demeaning as 'getting into them'.
This performance was far more worrying than the reverse against Barnet. Brighton were average at best, but buoyed by the particular confidence of a team used to winning, they snaffled a goal against the run of play on the stroke of half time and rarely looked like losing it.
ADVERTISEMENT
That is until the sixth of the five stoppage time minutes. Greg Halford looped another hopeful ball into the box and a Brighton arm punched it clear. To be fair the ref didn't hesitate and Pompey had their get-out-of-jail card.
Up stepped skipper Liam Lawrence, who had been particluarly vocal pre-match about 'settling scores' as well as vocal during the match regularly berating the referee for his lassitude. His spot kick thumped against the post and Tal Ben Haim failed to convert the rebound and the chance of a point evaporated. Kevin Prince-Boateng-style Lawrence remained prone in the penalty area. Pride comes before a fall, I suppose...
One one level Pompey probably deserved a point from the game. Despite a disjointed performance, they carved out a couple of decent chances which on another day might have gone in. A neat early backheel from Kanu set up David Norris whose shot arrowed just wide.
The former Ipswich midfielder had an even better chance in the last ten minutes when a quick free-kick found him free in the penalty area, but his hasty shot on the turn lacked composure and flew over the bar.
That said, there was never a time where you felt Pompey were in charge of the game. Instead, Brighton stuck to their policy of trying to keep the ball and duck and dive when the occasion presented itself. In consequence, Albion collected free-kicks, while Pompey collected yellow cards.
Five more bookings today to add to the five at the Riverside and three in midweek against Barnet, suggests Steve Cotterill's side hasn't lost its ill-disciplined streak. While last season it might have been excused by the 'world's against us' mentality soldering together a squad operating in trying circumstances, now it smacks of petulance.
Of course, things might be different if Pompey were not labouring to beat even Barnet, let alone Brighton. The team lacks a combination of pace and width. Once again 17-year-old sub Ryan Williams looked like the only player who could show a full back a clean pair of heels.
Elsewhere, Pompey have players whose speeds range from pedestrian to, in Kanu's case the longer the game went on, virtually stationary. Throw in the fact that both Hayden Mullins and Joel Ward are struggling to match the high standards set last season and Pompey have become a team which is too easy to defend against when playing at home. Norris has struggled to fire on all cylinders in two home matches and Luke Varney sometimes looks isolated wide on the left.
It is still early days, but Pompey look like a side in need of a dose of youthful energy. The signing of Benjani, announced to popular acclaim pre-match, will bring the latter in spirit at least. One hopes the body hasn't weakened too much. We will gloss over the fact that he has been a free-agent since the beginning of July and only this week was considering signing short-term for Conference side Stockport. If he could be at Fratton Park to be introduced to the crowd, surely he could have been signed in time to play, like fellow trentagenarian Christian Dailly last week?
Since April Pompey haven't won a match and have scored just once at home since March 12, losing four and drawing just three of seven matches at Fratton Park in the process. That is a dismal record by any standard and fans have a right to be upset.
Pompey are charging top-dollar prices in the Championship and, despite being in charge since early June, CSI's management team has failed to deliver even a stadium clock that works, let alone a competitive squad worthy of the season and match-day ticket money.
The brutal truth is Pompey sold just 14,000 tickets to home fans for one of the more attractive fixtures of the season. That tells its own story: a trip to Fratton Park these days is simply not worth the money.
Brighton, Southampton and Tuesday's visitors Reading are about to leave poor old Pompey far behind in the next nine months unless the club gets its act together soon. The clock it ticking. At least one is...
What I liked: The flag-waving entrance organised and orchestrated by the Fans' Conference was spectacular.
What I hated: Some fans booing Dave Kitson when he came on. Just what is that likely to achieve?
Man of the Match: Jamie Ashdown. Looks like some serious competition has improved his game
