Cardiff City
Reserves (1) 1
Thorne 22
Portsmouth Reserves (0) 3
Thorgerson 52
Pettifer 82
Courville 88
Attendance: 100
including Harry Redknapp, Lennie Lawrence, Alan Cork and me
Visiting Support: 1 - Harry Redknapp. Is that
all you take away?
This was my first visit to a reserves match
this season and if this game was anything to go by, I haven't missed much. The opening
half-hour was decent but the rest had me wondering why I didn't do something more useful
such as collecting stamps or making matchstick models, it was dire.
It's amazing to think we spent all summer and
early season talking about the quality and depth of our squad. As the season has
progressed, we've learned that Cork has limited his squad of 35 or so players to about 16
or 17 that he seriously considers.
The reserve strength should be strong but
with Nugent and Brazier seemingly about to sign for Orient, others such as Kevin Evans,
McCulloch, Jordan and Nogan ignored and some injuries such as David Hughes, there was a
threadbare look about City's side which was:
Kendall
Gethin Jones James Collins Simpkins
Low Giles
Fish Maxwell Jeanne
Thorne Wallis
The system mirrored the current first team
format, the personnel were shifted to suit it. The system had wing backs but Giles
defended deeper than Low, changing to 4-4-2 when City defended. There were welcome returns
for Mike Simpkins after 4 months and Peter Thorne after nearly 2 months, Simpkins used as
a centre back. Leon Jeanne in midfield basically had a free role behind the front two.
Portsmouth fielded a team of names that were
unfamiliar to me. Only one central defender, Alexandro Zamperini, returning after injury
could be described as a first teamer but they were 1nd in the reserves league and
collectively, looked bigger and stronger than City, and that's the way it eventually
turned out.
In a game played at Leckwith Athletic
Stadium, the wind was swirling, the atmosphere was nearly as good as a funeral parlour but
the teamsheets and entrance was free (just as well as I would have wanted my money back),
City played some good stuff in the opening period. They looked keen, had the better of
domination and territory, won a lot of the 50/50's but just like the first team, created
little for the possession and wasted opportunities.
The first real opening was Leon Jeanne on 10
minutes who took the ball wide right, cut outside and played a low ball across goal which
evaded the far post and Tony Wallis simultaneously.
On 22 minutes, City took the lead with Peter
Thorne, playing himself back gently, creating and taking it. A ball was played to him, his
back heel deceived a marker and sent Wallis racing into the penalty area. He was caught,
penalty awarded, some wouldn't have given it but Pompey didn't complain. THORNE took the
spot kick and despatched it low to the right with the keeping diving the opposite way,
very similar to Kav's penalty at Tranmere last weekend. The Leckwith roar must have been
heard all around Cardiff ... well more like a 100 strong polite clap, the sort you must
get at the opera!
City nearly, and should have, doubled their
lead on the half hour as Josh Low made a rare charge, the ball ran off a Pompey defender
and Wallis was clear on goal again. There was little wrong with his shot across goal,
Pettersen was beaten but the ball rebounded off the inside of his post. Moments later,
Leon Jeanne produced more magic as he spun and turned in his own half, leaving 2 players
and running 60 yards before cutting inside and seeing his shot saved, just.
Defensively, City had looked comfortable but
signs of Pompey's strength were starting to show as Kendall had to make 2 saves before
half-time, one with his legs after a good move, the other holding a weak header.
H/T City 1 Portsmouth 0
At half-time, Lennie Lawrence had seen enough
and went, I wish I had too.
Layton Maxwell, who had been the best player
on the park, was withdrawn as was Peter Thorne. They returned to spend much of the second
half jogging around the athletics track, could both be in the Brighton squad?
In their place, City introduced another 2
little'uns in Richard Ingram and Simon Heal giving the impression that we were now using
the 7 dwarves from the Snow White panto at the New Theatre. You suspected the tide would
turn and it sure did.
Pompey didn't create a great deal in the 2nd
half and when they did, they scored. But City created nothing whatsoever. The comedy value
was hearing Lee Kendall in goals who encouraged his team all 1st half, rollock, roast and
swear at them continuously in despair as the game slipped away.
The goals came easy and showed all the
hallmarks of the sloppy defence that cost most of the first team goals too. The equaliser
came on 52 minutes as a Pompey player cut in from the left with no challenge and squared
to Thomas THORGERSON who placed a low shot past Kendall. Four defenders and no challenge.
After a monotonous 30 minutes after that
goal, Pompey victory was assured with a comedy goal as James Collins, like Man United's
Laurent Blanc at the weekend, allowed a ball to drop over him, PETTEFER ran through and
won a challenge against Kendall to nod the bouncing ball into an empty net.
The third goal came with two minutes
remaining a a COURVELLE corner was returned to him, he left Gethin Jones for dead, his
first effort was well blocked by Kendall's stomach but he was allowed to get to the
rebound and fire home with no challenge. Kendall now totally lost it with his defence.
Can't say there was a great deal to worry the
first team although Michael Simpkins will have been pleased to come through 90 minutes. He
eased his way back playing a centre back role, looked a little off the pace at the start
which was no surprise, but then got in several big tackles of the type we'll all remember
him for. Did well overall.
James Colllins looked as useful as a centre
back as he does playing a striker, enough said, and Gethin Jones was out of sorts. Martyn
Giles was excellent 1st half but faded with the team after the interval, it was the same
story for Leon Jeanne whilst Josh flattered to deceive as he usually has done this season.
The rest just didn't do enough to make any impression on me.
It wasn't a good game, few produced a
performance of note and the only ones who looked anywhere near a claim for a first team
berth were Maxwell, Simpkins and Thorne - something we would have known without even
going.
