The Galleon - Portsmouth's Official Student Newspaper

Valentine’s Day for followers of Portsmouth Football Club was spoiled by the news that their beloved club would be applying for administration on Friday.

On the pitch the players had the chance to repair the mood but were outfought by Ipswich Town, who leapfrogged Pompey in the Championship with a 1-0 win.

Portsmouth were put to their paces as soon as the match started. The first warning sign was delivered by Damien Delaney who hit the bar with a looping header.

Ipswich, after a period of only two wins from 16 games, have enjoyed a mini resurgence in recent weeks, and it was evident from their confident, gung-ho start to the game.

Jay Emmanuel-Thomas hit a shot from distance which Jordan Henderson spluttered before holding on. The alertness of the Portsmouth goalkeeper was further tested by a low shot at the near post and a fizzing free kick from an improbable angle that flew narrowly over.

Thus it was no surprise when Ipswich scored as they had been knocking on the door. A long range effort was blocked but the ball fell to Daryl Murphy who headed against the post, and poacher Michael Chopra was the quickest to react to prod in.

If the goal itself involved an element of fortune, the same could not be said about the away side taking the lead. Portsmouth’s first real chance arrived when Aaron Creswell made a meal of clearing a hopeful whipped cross. Marko Futacs was at hand to sidestep Damien Delaney but the defender managed to get back into position to deflect the shot away for a corner.

Portsmouth were dealt a blow when club captain Liam Lawrence suffered an injury moments before half time. His replacement Dave Kitson could not improve Pompey’s chances, skewing a golden opportunity for an equaliser wide.

They could complain that they had a goal harshly disallowed for a foul on the goalkeeper but the points went to the right party. Ipswich had a number of chances to double their lead in the second half and put the result beyond reach. Lee Martin and Andy Drury, in particular, were dangerous attacking presences both on their own and in combination.

For Portsmouth the cost of administration is expected to be a ten point deduction which after this loss would see the club drop to 21st place, level on points with Coventry in the third relegation position. Whilst many might imagine a team with a positive goal difference after 30 games should posses the quality to pull themselves out of trouble, Pompey’s squad is so threadbare thin that gathering a 16-man squad is proving a difficulty.

The problems with such a scenario are compounding. Players may be forced into starting a game despite carrying an injury that should be rested, and furthermore competition for a place in the starting line-up becomes non-existent.

Portsmouth are facing a challenging end to their season and they must now make survival in the Championship a priority.

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