Duncan Barkes

And he knows the club.

And when he says that he is certain that Pompey will fight Pompey,

to the last man to stay up.

I really so want to believe he's right, don't you?

And I think I do.

And I think we will.

And I hope he's right.

We will stay up by the skin of those proverbial teeth.

Yes, it was diligent and conscientious of John Mastino to make sure that he and all his players went and paid their respects, I suppose is the best word.

You can't thank somebody for deriding you or being hostile towards you.

You can acknowledge that they've got a point, but I think that's what the best that they were doing.

That was the best of their intent when they all went and applauded, I believe.

I didn't see it.

the Pompey travelling fans, who were spitting blood, and that everyone has said, Marlon Pack, I think Conor Ogilvie echoed this, certainly Massino said it over and over, they completely understand how upset, and I have to use the F word here, how frightened,

Pompey fans are how frightened that they're going to have a miserable summer looking at fixtures against teams that we had begun to think of were beneath us in league one they are frightened of going down frightened of the humiliation possibly frightened of being derided at school or at work because they support a team that's had a duff season all those things are out there

And that produces anger at a result like 6-1.

And it also produces fear that it might happen again and again as the season grows old and tapers off and disappears and goes into our history books as being a largely unexpected disaster.

Let's hope not.

After a tough build-up already before a ball was kicked at Loftus Road, with Portsmouth posting financial losses and on a poor run of form, it could not have been a much worse opening half-hour for head coach John Massinio.

It took his side only seven minutes to concede when a poor touch from Swift gave up the ball in midfield and Harvey Vale's deflected pass found Smyth, who fired home with the help of a deflection from 20 yards.