Neil Allen's verdict after Portsmouth's 2-1 loss at Preston

The News, Portsmouth

Preston 2 Pompey 1: Neil Allen's verdict

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00:00Greetings from Preston. A few thoughts really on that result today with Pompey. No getting

00:12away from the fact that two disappointing results. Teams below them are catching them

00:17up now. Pompey are four points ahead of them. It's getting a bit concerning now, as opposed

00:22to how it was Sunday night. And there's no getting away from the fact that Pompey late

00:26on conceded a terrible goal. John Massino described it as the worst goal they've conceded

00:32this season. No getting away from that. John Massino also said, which is really interesting,

00:37that up until Pompey equalised, he was satisfied with their performance. He thought they were

00:43very solid, not looking like conceding, very comfortable. And he's spot on really. Pompey

00:50equalised and he's like, that's it. Hold on for a point. Not a problem, not an issue.

00:55Obviously, the manner of the goal, the winner, left Massino absolutely fuming. He said that

01:01the players should have been fouled in the build-up. Pompey have to be a bit cuter, more

01:04clever. He says he's been too nice to the players for too long and he gave them a few

01:09tone-truths after the game. Me and Andy have both put out on social media about how angry he was,

01:15and one of the angriest I've seen him after a match. Absolutely fuming over the manner of that

01:20goal. But the point is that Pompey weren't that bad today. I know they're no longer 10 points

01:29clear. I know they've lost it away from home again. I know it's an awful late goal. I get

01:34that. I understand that. But they weren't that bad today at all. Preston had four players on

01:39at half-time. It was a very even game. Pompey played better first half. But Smith barely had

01:47a save to make until a wonderful one in the 84th minute, I think it was. So, it's easy to get

01:54carried away, really, with the result they'd lost again. But they weren't that bad today. We've seen

01:58some atrocious away performances. We all have. They weren't bad today at all. A point would have

02:03been very, very fair and everyone would have thought, OK, get on with it, move on. But that

02:08late goal, the manner of it, it just masks everything. It doesn't take away the fact

02:13that Coen Bramwell was outstanding today. Absolutely outstanding. Anyone watch that, wow.

02:20Bombing down that left-hand side, putting the crosses in, his mobility, his athleticism,

02:26his speed, his pace. Really impressive there at left-back. Very impressive there. Definitely

02:32a man of the match for me, surely for everyone else. He also hit the bar from a shot from 20 yards.

02:38The sort of corner of the bar on the post, I'll need to see a replay of that one. So, it doesn't

02:42take away the fact that he had a really good game today. It doesn't take away from the fact

02:45that Ogilvy had a decent game today at centre-half as well, apart from the mix-up between Smith.

02:50And likewise, Smith, it didn't take away the fact he produced an absolutely outstanding save shortly

02:55before that as well. They still had decent moments. But it's just the frustration, isn't it,

03:01that now people are starting to look over their shoulder and people are starting to catch up,

03:05aren't they, really? So, it would have been a good point, considering the game. Very even game.

03:13Preston knew they got out of it today. They did. I've sat through their manager and I've sat

03:18through one of their players. I don't even know which player it was. Some Scottish bloke, probably

03:21Porteous. I'm not sure who it was. But I sat through their press conference and they were

03:26delighted to get a point. They knew they perhaps didn't deserve, sorry, get a win. They knew they

03:31didn't deserve three points and they were very complimentary about Pompey. So, the opposition

03:36are saying that as well. So, let's not get too carried away. I know it's a bad result later on,

03:42but it's really interesting. John Massino, Angris have seen him. He was fuming. So,

03:49yeah, hopefully you've seen and read what it was like afterwards. But still a really disappointing

03:55day. And by the way, can I just mention the fans? I'm not saying it just for the sake of saying it.

04:02They just dominated. They sang from start to finish. I kid you not. From the first minute to

04:06the last. Preston are among the quietest fans I've heard this season. And as I keep saying in

04:12these chats, I find the home fans and the Championship to be very quiet and overall,

04:18apart from Leeds and West Brom and a couple of others. Pompey fans are just outstanding all the

04:23way through. So, Daniel Shostak, well played. We played well and now it makes the Leavers a

04:28waste of time getting sucked back into it. Yeah, that's what it is, isn't it? This is Pompey at

04:32the moment. Really frustrating. Yeah, but well, two weeks off now, isn't it? And I'm not even

04:40going to go into Genghis' performance and things like that. We all saw that. But as I say, even

04:45though Pompey lost late on, I'm not taking anything from Koro Bramwell at all. He was outstanding

04:49today. He's made a big impact, hasn't he, over the last few weeks. And there's a bit of a battle

04:55now left. But anyway, Pompey lost today and now everyone's closing in. So, yes, hugely disappointed

05:02in John Massino. We'll not let this lie with those players, without doubt, seeing how he was

05:05after the game. So, safe journey home, everyone. We're back to going ourselves. Thank you.

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