Chapter 1: What is the main topic discussed in this episode?
The latest Pompey news updates every day from the Pompey Sound News Desk.
Chapter 2: What recent events led Portsmouth to climb out of the Championship relegation zone?
Portsmouth climbed out of the Championship relegation zone after Ibu Adams marked his home debut with a 77th-minute equaliser to earn a one-all draw with fierce rivals. Saints were on course for a first-league win at Fratton Park in 50 years following Leo Cienza's 57th-minute opener.
But the visitors were denied South Coast Derby bragging rights when Pompey midfielder Adams, a January signing from Derby County, headed in following an Adrian Sejekic corner, to spark wild celebrations.
Saints made the short journey along the M27, having not won a league match on Portsmouth's patch since 1976, albeit this was just the fifth such meeting during that period, and first for 15 years. Rival managers John Mazzino and Tonda Eckert exchanged words on the touchline during a frantic start to the contest, in which the visitors had a golden chance to snatch an early lead.
Chapter 3: How did the South Coast Derby unfold between Portsmouth and Southampton?
Following a delightful flick from Kuriomatsuki in midfield, Saints' 11-goal top scorer Adam Armstrong was sent through on goal by Finnazaz, only for his low effort to be repelled by the left foot of Nicolas Schmid. Pompey goalkeeper Schmid then produced another smart stop to again deny Armstrong, diving to his right to keep out a thumping half-volley after James Bree crossed from the right.
Forward Milenek Ali side-footed narrowly wide for the hosts, before a deflected effort from Sigecik dipped onto the roof of the net. Southampton boss Eckert had called for cold heads and hot hearts from his players, amid the hostile atmosphere.
His side silenced three sides of the ground, 12 minutes into the second half, when Sienza, who claimed Saints, winner in the 1-0 midweek success over Sheffield United, broke the deadlock.
With Portsmouth appealing in vain for offside, the Brazilian winger raced clear onto Azaz's pass before calmly beating Schmid and then taunting home supporters as he ran the length of the pitch to celebrate with the travelling fans.
Chapter 4: What were the key moments that defined the match's intensity?
Tempers threatened to boil over with 20 minutes to go after Flynn Downs' tackle on Zach Swanson as the home team attempted to break from a corner sparked a melee and resulted in a booking for both players. Pompey had struggled from an attacking perspective for much of the afternoon but levelled 13 minutes from time.
Sergetich's in-swinging corner from the right caused chaos in Southampton's six-yard box and Adams endeared himself to Portsmouth's fans by bundling home his first goal for the club in front of the stunned away end. Massenio's men ended a feisty affair in the ascendancy but could not find a winner during six minutes of added time as, for the second time this season, the derby ended in a draw.
It was, just to be neutral for a moment, one of the great derbies. One of the great derbies, especially if you're a Pompey fan. Because we came from behind and we got a big something. Right at the death.
Chapter 5: How did Portsmouth's players respond after going a goal down?
And that is fantastic. But it had everything else. There was some good football. There was some very, very passionate football. There was a melee. Apparently there were words between the two managers. I didn't see it. I don't know anybody who says they did witness it. or what it was about, but it all adds up to a perfect derby.
Up there with anything that Arsenal, Spurs, or Liverpool, Everton, or the Manchesters, up with anything that they've ever produced, surely.
Chapter 6: What were the implications of the draw for both teams in the Championship standings?
Okay, it wasn't three all, you do occasionally get such things, but one all. It's pretty sound, a decent result, an encouraging result for us, and the way it happened with them taking the lead and us hearts in our mouths, and then there it is, a scrambled goal, and we'll talk about it for a long time to come. Didn't he celebrate it well? Wasn't he one of us when he celebrated his goal?
So, as derbies go, it's a 9.5. It was an interesting game, a load of intensity, a load of aggression. I thought not a huge amount in terms of tactics and the weather probably played its part as well. But yeah, I think it was a properly intense derby and going a goal down in the way that we did and as the game sort of dragging on towards the back 20 minutes,
It felt like at that point we probably would have taken a point and then we scored. I thought we were the much better team for the last 20 minutes. So disappointed to not get the second, but I think overall it was a fair result. I think if you consider the circumstances this week, we've been away to Sheffield Wednesday, been away to Watford.
come back home and Southampton off the back of two home games and then a short trip and you know an incredibly rich and talented squad I think the lads have absolutely sort of emptied everything there and given everything they can we're thin on the ground at the minute we're really thin on the ground we lost another player on Wednesday night so I'm really really pleased and proud of the boys
I suppose mixed emotions. We wanted to win the game. We thought we could win the game. If I look back at the way the game ended in particular, I thought we were the side that looked like we were going to go and win it. If any side did, we just didn't have quite enough quality in the final third at times. If you strip everything back, we lost Regan on Wednesday night.
He strapped himself up in case we were going to need something, but his groin's pretty much hanging off. But it just is a sign of how much he's willing to play for the cause. So we had to shift things around. Zach Swanson, I think his first ever starter at centre-back. Iban Boak coming in after a few weeks and really shifting things around in the back line.
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Chapter 7: What transfer news is affecting Sheffield Wednesday's squad?
So I think with all those things, it was a really pleasing day. Yeah, it was hard to persuade him, first of all, that he wasn't going to be able to start the game.
Chapter 8: How is Barry Bannon's departure impacting Sheffield Wednesday?
I think he knew deep down because he was really struggling to walk yesterday. But woke up this morning, we did a late fitness test. He was still limping around a bit in the warm-up. But, you know, players coming back slightly ahead of schedule. Marlon came back ahead of schedule, shouldn't have been playing today. But we needed him and we needed those players.
And I thought everybody did a brilliant job. Oh, brilliant. I mean, he's been such a big part of this football club's history. He's been a huge part of my time here as well. I think he scored that first goal in the front end. Or was it the second one? I can't really remember. But Marlon's been a brilliant part of my time here for the last three years, capped in the side to promotion.
And I think it's a moment he's been dreaming about for a long time because he didn't get to play in the first one. So it wasn't anything to do with emotion or bringing him on for the sake of it. It was because he's a properly good player and we wanted him to come and change the game, which he did.
I thought it was a really good reaction to go in a goal down because naturally I think heads could have dropped. There was very little in the game. I thought that the chances that Southampton had, a couple on the break in the first half, probably I'm guessing Armstrong will be disappointed that he didn't slot that home, but a really big save from Nico.
I said to the press, I said to Nico on Wednesday night, he's going to save us far more often than he's going to cost us. I was really pleased for Nico that he could bounce back with two top saves in the first half. The reaction to going a goal down and to not go under under difficult circumstances was very impressive. As things stand, we're only a point above the bottom three.
We've got a game or two games in the case of some teams down amongst us in hand, but you've still got to get something from those games. So they're still all to play for. And Pompey are, in fact, I've just looked at Betfair, the third favourite team to go down with Charlton and Blackburn, very close to us in the betting, in the odds. But we are tighter than they are.
So the bookies, or at least people who bet with Betfair, think that we're likely to go down. And yet, and yet, John Massino is looking more and more relaxed, more comfortable, happier, more confident than he has done for some weeks, possibly months. And one thinks that he feels that there is a turning taking place within obviously the actual footballers he's got to work with.
I get the impression that he's confident that some people are coming in that he's really going to be able to depend on. But time will tell. We've only got about a week to go now. in the transfer window. And I also feel that he feels that he's turning the corner with the confidence and the application.
The application of his tactics, the way he wants to play the pressing game, the way he wants to be everywhere on the pitch.
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