BUCS Premier League
Wednesday 4th November

After three weeks unbeaten, today’s game did not start as fast paced as previous weeks, taking Portsmouth some 15 minutes to get into the flow of the game. When they finally started to produce some high tempo, attractive one-touch play, gaps began to open and chances arose with a few efforts coming from outside of the box but not really threatening.

The first half progressed like this with Pompey having most of the possession, just unable to create the chances, leaving the first half at 0-0.

From the second half, Pompey knew that they needed to both remain composed and lift their game. However, they found themselves under some pressure from Brighton, with Sally-Anne Thompson having to come off of her line and swiftly gather up potentially threatening balls from the Brighton midfield. This, alongside solid defending from the Pompey back four, kept the game level.

Then, with a passage of good play from the home side, a ball was played into Gemma Hillier’s feet, where she looked up and played a high lofted shot that hit the post and the crossbar before crossing the line, giving Pompey the lift that they needed from the game.

Following this, another spell of good possession and quick-play within the midfield, a frustrated Brighton side gave away a free kick. Here, with an early shout, Rosie Bidder, played a ball through space, meeting a great run by Gemma, where the striker was able to pick up the ball. Gemma then made a dashing run toward goal where she coolly and calmly placed the ball into the bottom corner of the goal, giving Pompey a 2-0 lead.

Later, with Portsmouth becoming defensively quiet across the pitch, following a Brighton attack, a soft penalty was given for a handball, when the home side themselves had had two penalty shouts dismissed by the referee for both a handball and foul in the box. Here though, Brighton smashed the ball cleanly into the back of the net bringing the game to a more disconcerting 2-1.

Portsmouth, having found themselves needing to defend a lead rather than chase one like in previous weeks, became a bit scrappy trying to push play in order to regain a comfortable lead, allowing Brighton to capitalise on the space left and cross the ball into the box from the wing. Where on one of the occasions, a crossed ball caught an unfortunate deflection and hit the back of Pompey’s net producing an own goal, and a 2-2 score line.

Pompey continued to press for victory but it was not their day, as, though the home side had the greater possession of the ball and missed some great chances at the away end, the score remained 2-2. However, the girls are still unbeaten in the league and will not let this weeks annoyances affect their performance next week.