Despite the familiarity with the location, this was the first time that I’ve been to a game here and it took me a while to find the entrance. I had approached the ground from the new shopping centre at Gunwharf and found that there wasn’t an entrance on that side of the ground. After walking round most of the perimeter, I reached the navy checkpoint and was directed down a small path. This took me past a hockey match and round to the football pitch, which is surrounded by an athletics track.
The sun was out and it felt more like a summer’s day as I made myself at home to the left of the main stand – a real contrast to last week’s snow! There was no one else around apart from a couple of home players who were warming up. The away team gradually trickled in as cars arrived at the ground and about five minutes before kick off a few spectators wandered around the pitch to the main stand. Over the course of the first half a few more people ambled in to watch the game, similar to the game I had seen at Fawley.
From my vantage point I could watch the trains heading to Portsmouth Harbour and back while in the distance I could see the Guildhall clock, origin of the original Portsmouth Chimes. After it had ticked around to 3pm, the referee started proceedings. A few minutes later a gentleman came round to collect admission and distribute programmes, asking first if I was in the service (and therefore entitled to free entry).
This was a 4th (US Portsmouth) v 5th (Warminster) encounter but the gap between the teams seemed a lot more than 2 points. US Portsmouth took the lead after 16 minutes from a goalkeeping error. The ball was crossed in from the right but the keeper was only able to dive out and push the ball away. It fell nicely for a US Portsmouth player who passed it into the net from 6 yards out.
Warminster had a couple of good runs but there was no real bite to their attack and any shots ended up well wide. Their midfield seemed to be having an off day and seemed disorganised as they kept passing to their blue shirted opponents. The Warminster keeper kept his team in the game after half an hour with a good save from a header and they had a chance to equalise from the counter attack. With three players in the box there were plenty of options but each player chose not to shoot and to pass instead to a team mate which allowed US Portsmouth to win the ball and clear it away.
On 36 minutes it took a last ditch tackle by a Warminster striker of all people to stop a US Portsmouth player from doubling the lead from 2 yards out. The same player almost pulled a goal back on 38 min with a long shot with the US Portsmouth keeper off his line but the keeper was able to coast back and make a save.
After an early Warminster goalbound effort was saved, the second half was a similar story of US Portsmouth dominance. They almost made the most of a very similar chance to the goal on 52 minutes when the Warminster keeper chose to push the ball out again from a cross. This time the shot went straight back to keeper so he was able to save it.
On 56 min Warminster had their best chance when a ball on right side was pulled back along the goal line and found a player on the far post. He should have hit it on target but instead played it flat to his right so it went across goal instead of scoring.
After 76 minutes, US Portsmouth made it 2.0. A corner was played to the near post and headed in by an unmarked player - an easy chance thanks to poor defending. Four minutes later a home sub dribbled through the Warminster defence and it was more luck than judgement that allowed the keeper to push the shot over the bar. Warminster had been poor throughout the second half and rarely managed to get the ball out of their half without conceding possession.
Both teams had a chance to score in second half injury time. The first chance fell to the home team who tried to beat the keeper from the halfway line with an audacious attempt that went wide. The away team then hit back as I started to walk around the pitch to the exit. The ball ended up in the air in the penalty area as a striker ran in past the defender but the keeper was able to grab the ball in time. As the final whistle blew I started a brisk walk back to Portsmouth Harbour for the train home. Made it with a few minutes to spare and watched the away team wandering back over the pitch to their cars from the comfort of the train.
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