It was same old same old for Saints at Fratton as they threw away another two points away from home.
Up until the last five minutes or so Saints looked to have done everything right in a tense derby game at Fratton Park, but the they did what they seem to do so often on the road, they gave away a sloppy goal.
It started well for Saints, of course Pompey blustered, but Saints coped with that very well, in truth the home teams tactics were little more than hoof the ball forward for Kitson, who in fairness scrapped for every one and made sure the Saints defence didnt have it easy, but apart from a tame header easily dealt with by Davis and a few wayward shots just before half time, it was Saints who looked more likely to score, but they just could find the final ball at any time.
Indeed this was the problem with the performance throughout the game, clearly the pitch was not as stable as it looked to the naked eye and many players were slipping up when attempting to pass the ball, this seemed to affect Saints more who just couldnt seem to get their passing game completely together and too often passes werent weighted properly.
It didnt help with the balance in the midfield, again there was little width on the right meaning Saints were often too cramped in the middle, this doesnt just affect the right side, it also impacts on the left where Lallana hasnt got the room he would normally have if the game is a little more spread, however as the second half developed Saints had a firm grip on the game and where finding more and more room and space, not least Lallana who looked back to his best after a quiet time in recent games.
The goal was well worked, Fox delivered the perfect in swinging free kick that meant Lambert couldnt miss and he didnt, from then on it looked like there would only be one winner.
But then came a tactical switch that at the time and evn now seemed baffling, Fox who like Richardson on the right was starting to get the room to put in some telling balls was taken off and replaced by Harding, Fox himself did not look happy at this substitution. The only reason I can think of is that Nigel Adkins wanted to up the tempo and get Harding down the wing a little, I can see the point of that, but why change a defence that lookd solid up to that point and why change a system thhat was starting to put Pompey under the cosh. But the real truth of the matter is that we were a goal up, for once the defence looked like keeping a clean sheet away from home, Fox is a better defender than Harding and was playing well.
Tactically it was a blunder as within 7 minutes Pompey were level, as stated Harding is not as strong defensively as Fox and he gave away a needless corner when under no pressure, this proved costly as once again Saints lost concentration and with their only meaningful chance of the game Pompey equalised, once again we had snatched a draw from the jaws of victory on the road.
We had chances late on but they were no more than half chances and in truth you felt that both sets of supporters were happy to go home honours even.
But taking away the fact it was a trip to Pompey this was not a good result for Saints, from a very strong position a month ago when we beat Brighton, we have taken only 5 points from 5 games and have seen our lead at the top erodded to only a single point, indeed from leading third place by 8 points that gap is now down to only 3, we really have to go to places like Fratton and win games if we want promotion, ominously we have to play all the three teams behind us away ffrom home in the New Year, we have had a great chance to run away with this league and have not taken it, forget that this was the derby game, when all is said and done it was yet another away game where we have enjoyed the lions share of possesion, the majority of shots both on and off target, yet have not won the game due to a lapse in concentration, I dont enjoy saying this week in week out, I dont enjoy being abused and told glibly "But we are top of the league" unless we sort this away form out, we wont be much longer if we have another month like the last one.