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DAN BRETT: Pompey rue the rules, but do the right thing by fans
DAN BRETT: Pompey rue the rules, but do the right thing by fans
Wednesday, 23rd Oct 2013 22:10 by Dan Brett

Pompey will be ruing Football League rules, following Tuesday night's 1-1 washout against Wycombe Wanderers. But at least fans won't have to pay to see the game again after a generous offer of the club to honour tickets of those fans who paid for them for the original match.

Read more about that here.

The first match abandonment at Fratton Park for 57 years was witnessed, as forecasted torrential rain hit the South Coast - sweeping the League Two fixture away in its path.

However, from our several vantage points at the Park, come 7.35pm, all looked well - an immaculate playing surface was welcomed by a glimmer of sun over PO4.

And all started brightly for the match, but just 15 minutes in, rain, thunder and a howling wind engulfed the stadium, with fans occupying the front rows of each stand clambering to the warm and dry.

It looked like it would be a long night for the South Coast side, who had a few half-chances of their own through John Marquis and Patrick Agyemang; the latter ruled to have been over-physical on Kortney Hause, seconds after looking like he'd slotted Pompey into the lead.

Billy Knott, on loan to the Chairboys from Sunderland, further dampened home fans' spirits with a thunderous 20-yard strike, crashing against the bar on its way to gaining an important lead.

Pompey struggled to get back into the match for long periods, and with the pitch deteriorating quickly, the Blues were getting no help from the treacle-like surface.

Player safety is always paramount in these games, too, as highlighted when Yassin Moutaouakil's lunge on Stuart Lewis sent the midfielder flying - and then sliding in agony for a further ten yards.

The game also brought on memories of Pompey's home defeat to Leicester City in 2002, especially when defender Hayden Foxe knocked himself out after colliding head-first with the Milton End goal frame.

That's enough from memory lane, though. Back to the action.

Defensive duties were at a premium, too, with goal-saving blocks from Sonny Bradley and Joe Devera, keeping a queening Wanderers forward-three at bay.

And, finally, on the stroke of half time, HMS Agyemang sailed to Pompey's rescue - slotting home with a neat finish, after a good set piece from assist expert Ricky Holmes.

Moments later, the half time whistle blew and both sides quickly withdrew to the safety of their changing rooms.

And then, much to my personal delight, two brave ground staff took to the field, armed with pitchforks, in an attempt to keep the game going.

But, sadly, it was never going to work. The conditions that Agyemang stated, post-match, 'the worst I'd ever seen' had done its damage - Fratton Park was done for the night.

Following the interval, referee Lee Collins spoke with Guy Whittingham and Wycombe boss Gareth Ainsworth, and called time on proceedings - the sensible action taken, according to both managers.

However, despite the abandonment, Sonny Bradley's booking - his fifth of the season - will still count, therefore ruling him out of Saturday's tough trip to Torquay United.

A precedent set by the Football League, made even more bizarre by knowledge that Agyemang's strike would be expunged from the history books; a double-hit to Pompey that impressed neither defender nor striker.

The re-arranged game, though, will be played in its entirety - time now for both clubs to spend the next seven days planning the best date to do battle once again. But hopefully for 90 minutes, this time.

The views of Dan Brett are his own and don't necessarily reflect the editorial view of pompey-fans.com.

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