MATCHWATCH : Portsmouth (a)

[Royal Monkey]

Noel Hunt interview after the match - "If you run as fast as you can for 4 or 5 seconds, you can cover 50 or 60 metres."

Before last night, the 60m world record was 6.34 seconds, and that wasn't on grass.

You’ve actually gone on Google to see if that was possible

[The Cap]

Don’t think anyone was expecting that tonight - the confidence we will take from it will be massive.

Many lauding the away end tonight too, for the most part top drawer - then anyone signing OWTS ruined it, nothing more embarrassing than an away end singing another teams song to wind up home fans, happened at Millwall before to with some singing bubbles. Admittedly it’ll probably just be the kids who don’t get it, but never again please!

100% hughsies. Anybody with half a brain cell of the rivalry involved would never go down that route. In fact the Pompey crew probably looked over and thought "Bunch of kids, we'll give 'em a pass".

[Mid Sussex Royal]

Another reminder for me that we should be looking to the academy lads first to fill gaps not just crave signing average players from elsewhere

That is surely the purpose of the academy, 1 or 2 a year stepping up to the 1st team squad at 18/19 with a view to being regulars at 20/21.

It's why I'm not too worried at CB, we have O'Connor, Burns and Dorsett with youngsters stepping up but we do need a forward.

Yes exactly, I wonder if anyone at the club/elsewhere has worked how much money the academy gets back moneywise in terms of sales, players coming through to the first team, and saving on purchases even frees as these players likely come in on much bigger deals. Gives us a big advantage in L1.

[Snowflake Royal]

Another reminder for me that we should be looking to the academy lads first to fill gaps not just crave signing average players from elsewhere

That is surely the purpose of the academy, 1 or 2 a year stepping up to the 1st team squad at 18/19 with a view to being regulars at 20/21.

It's why I'm not too worried at CB, we have O'Connor, Burns and Dorsett with youngsters stepping up but we do need a forward.

Yes exactly, I wonder if anyone at the club/elsewhere has worked how much money the academy gets back moneywise in terms of sales, players coming through to the first team, and saving on purchases even frees as these players likely come in on much bigger deals. Gives us a big advantage in L1.

I'm sure we could work something out... cost should be the easy bit.

Then transfer fees in for players who spent at least two years in the Academy (so no Long, Bindon) and weren't resigned and then sold (no Smith).

Then some sort of partial wage value for Academy graduates who make appearances... maybe a nominal transfer fee saving.

[stealthpapes]

I enjoyed that. Really mature performance from a very young/makeshift side. Ahmed and Ryan were my two standouts, although Kelv lead the line very effectively and I thought Garcia played one of his better games.

The best element was the way we attacked, crisp passing, effective running. All good stuff.

[stealthpapes]

WRT academy, yes, clearly an advantage in League 1 in that we get a solid supply of good enough players. I honestly can't see any viable model for building back that doesn't include the academy.

Plus, I cannot be the only one who wants to see a side of our kids, plus a few canny buys, doing alright.

[Hound]

Another reminder for me that we should be looking to the academy lads first to fill gaps not just crave signing average players from elsewhere

That is surely the purpose of the academy, 1 or 2 a year stepping up to the 1st team squad at 18/19 with a view to being regulars at 20/21.

It's why I'm not too worried at CB, we have O'Connor, Burns and Dorsett with youngsters stepping up but we do need a forward.

But I'd much prefer us to sign a young forward than a journeyman

I’d put it out there that Kelv/MoM are probably better than anyone we’re likely to sign as CF

I don’t mind an Aneke type for the bench though and whilst I prefer Kelvin coming from wide we’ve a ton of options there already

[Royal Ginger]

Ahmed and Rushesha were mind-reading each other to great effect, no doubt from playing together in the academy squads. That’s the sort of thing that will come with a bit of time for the newbies.

[stealthpapes]

Oh yeah, and the referee absolutely bottled the handball incident, so far as I could see.

[The Cap]

Oh yeah, and the referee absolutely bottled the handball incident, so far as I could see.

Everybody will have their own take on that, however I tend to agree with you stealth and in comparison to the bodybuilding clown that we had last Saturday, I thought, overall, he had a decent game. And if anything seemed to award 'tricky' decisions in our favour.

[stealthpapes]

Yeah, I agree overall, I didn't think he did much else wrong. Just that handball incident felt like he was playing it as safe as possible.

[The Cap]

Yeah, I agree overall, I didn't think he did much else wrong. Just that handball incident felt like he was playing it as safe as possible.

Agreed. Hang on a minute, I'm sounding like that 'Hirkenbakker' (sp?) geezer. Where's he gone these days? Must be away on his gap year

[rabidbee]

Cheltenham away would suit me.

[South Coast Royal]

Cheltenham away would suit me.

To get a decent crowd I would like to see Oxford, Brighton or Southampton but for convenience Bournemouth.

[From Despair To Where?]

Wimbledon (H).

Decent chance to progress, you'd like to think

[Sutekh]

Wimbledon (H).

Decent chance to progress, you'd like to think

Full draw:

North
Accrington Stanley v Doncaster Rovers
Barnsley/Fleetwood Town v Rotherham United
Birmingham City/Sheffield United v Port Vale
Bolton Wanderers/Sheffield Wednesday v Leeds United
Burnley v Derby County
Everton v Mansfield Town
Grimsby Town v Manchester United
Preston North End v Wrexham
Stoke City v Bradford City
Sunderland v Huddersfield Town/Leicester City
Tranmere Rovers/Burton Albion v Lincoln City
Wigan Athletic v Stockport County

South
Bournemouth v Brentford
Bromley v Wycombe Wanderers
Cambridge United v Charlton Athletic
Cardiff City v Cheltenham Town/Exeter City
Fulham v Bristol City
Millwall v Coventry City
Norwich City v Southampton
Oxford United v Brighton & HA
Reading v AFC Wimbledon
Swansea City v Plymouth Argyle
Wolves v West Ham United

[Mr Angry]

Oh yeah, and the referee absolutely bottled the handball incident, so far as I could see.

Everybody will have their own take on that, however I tend to agree with you stealth and in comparison to the bodybuilding clown that we had last Saturday, I thought, overall, he had a decent game. And if anything seemed to award 'tricky' decisions in our favour.

Thats how I saw it; even if O'Mahony "handled" the ball, how you can give a handball when the ball is blasted at you from 6 feet, and you are jumping and turning your back?

To me, that hit O'Mahony on the back and was going in; the keeper caught it outside his box, thus denying a clear goalscoring opportunity - red card every day of the week.

The ref realised this, and so chose the easy option of giving a free kick to Pompey.

[Snowflake Royal]

Oh yeah, and the referee absolutely bottled the handball incident, so far as I could see.

Everybody will have their own take on that, however I tend to agree with you stealth and in comparison to the bodybuilding clown that we had last Saturday, I thought, overall, he had a decent game. And if anything seemed to award 'tricky' decisions in our favour.

Thats how I saw it; even if O'Mahony "handled" the ball, how you can give a handball when the ball is blasted at you from 6 feet, and you are jumping and turning your back?

To me, that hit O'Mahony on the back and was going in; the keeper caught it outside his box, thus denying a clear goalscoring opportunity - red card every day of the week.

The ref realised this, and so chose the easy option of giving a free kick to Pompey.

There's certainly no way he could have been sure MoM handled it.

[Sutekh]

Everybody will have their own take on that, however I tend to agree with you stealth and in comparison to the bodybuilding clown that we had last Saturday, I thought, overall, he had a decent game. And if anything seemed to award 'tricky' decisions in our favour.

Thats how I saw it; even if O'Mahony "handled" the ball, how you can give a handball when the ball is blasted at you from 6 feet, and you are jumping and turning your back?

To me, that hit O'Mahony on the back and was going in; the keeper caught it outside his box, thus denying a clear goalscoring opportunity - red card every day of the week.

The ref realised this, and so chose the easy option of giving a free kick to Pompey.

There's certainly no way he could have been sure MoM handled it.

This. More evidence that the standard of officials is quite appalling in the lower leagues and early cup rounds.