2016-17 Champions Review. | Page 2 | Vital Football

2016-17 Champions Review.

After the dust had settled on the Doyle/Burgess debacle, Pompey had a break while others were on FA Cup duty, and during this time Paul Cook called for solidarity during the busy fixture schedule over the upcoming winter months.

A tricky trip to Grimsby was what awaited Pompey after a fortnight without a match, and it was the visitors who had the best of the chances in a closely contested game. Pompey had squandered several opportunities and looked to be heading for a 0-0 draw when Kal Naismith came off the bench to once again rifle home a humdinger of a free-kick which sent the travelling fans into raptures. It was to be the start of his personal renaissance at Portsmouth.

Hartlepool were languishing in the bottom 6 when they visited Fratton Park a week later, and Pompey looked to banish their poor home form which had seen them win only once in their last 7 in all competitions. But once again, the home curse struck and once again it was a returning player uttering the spells. It wasn't a goal that cost Pompey this time, it was a goalkeeper, namely Trevor Carson who had spent a season on loan at Pompey. He returned to Fratton and pulled off a string of fine saves to deny Pompey a victory as the match finished 0-0.

Good old Santa Claus gave Pompey a European holiday for Christmas, specifically a trip over the border to Newport County, who were bottom of League Two and had lost 4 games on the spin heading into this one. But things once again didn't go to form and a turkey based hangover for the Blues saw the hosts take a 2 goal lead shortly after half time thanks to goals from Rhys Healey and Josh Sheehan.

If the first goal didn't shake off the cobwebs, the second definitely did and Pompey started playing with a much higher tempo, and it wasn't long before Rose had pulled one back. On the hour mark, Pompey had a great chance to draw level, but Naismith blazed a spot kick over as Pompey had their tails up. Chances came and went, but Pompey finally levelled with 10 minutes to go, with Enda Stevens scoring his first ever Pompey goal. Not content with a share of the spoils, Pompey once again scored a late goal to win it, with Kal Naismith atoning for his penalty miss by swinging a dangerous ball into the box, alluding everyone and bouncing in the far corner. It was a crucial 3 points which showed a tremendous strength of character and a battling will.

This battling spirit was not visible 4 days later however when Pompey travelled to Yeovil. In fact, nothing was visible as thick fog descended upon Huish Park as the teams emerged. What ensued was a farce of a match, which allegedly finished 0-0, but nobody can be too sure of that. Rumour has it that Kal Naismith and Noel Hunt both had chances for Pompey, and Otis Khan clatter the crossbar in the dying minutes, but nobody can be quite sure as Pompey ended December undefeated, with 2 wins and 2 goalless draws.

The draw away to Yeovil marked the midpoint of the season, and having played every team in the league once Pompey found themselves in 4th place, 7 points adrift of Doncaster and Carlisle, and 9 off leaders Plymouth. It was looking likely that Pompey were once again heading for a play-off spot, but things were going to get worse before they got better.
 
Newport, as much as things didn't always go our way after this by any means, was possibly, if not probably, the moment our season turned around?

Two down at Rodney Parade, had we lost that game I have a feeling the games that followed would have been completely different but that comeback did something I reckon.

We DIDN'T always tap into it but definitely ended the season like that side in the 2nd half at Newport, one with confidence and belief that wasn't arrogant, a line I think we might have flirted with, if not crossed, earlier in the season?
 
After the dust had settled on the Doyle/Burgess debacle, Pompey had a break while others were on FA Cup duty, and during this time Paul Cook called for solidarity.


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The start of January saw two new arrivals from Hampton and Richmond. Pompey fans had been keeping an eye on Jamal Lowe for several months after his signing was announced earlier in the season, but were pleased to hear he'd be joined by teammate Nicke Kabmaba. Between the pair they had scored 39 goals in half a season for the National League South side, and aged 22 and 23 respectively had a lot of time to evolve.

Neither featured in Pompey's first game of the year however, as Luton made the trip to the South Coast. The Hatters were 1 place and 1 point behind Pompey in the table and suffered an early setback when Gordon Ramsey lookalike Cameron McGeehan went in full blooded with Michael Doyle, only to come out with a broken leg. The breakthrough came on the half hour when a pinpoint Carl Baker cross found the head of Christian Burgess, who powered home his 3rd of the season. Luton didn't cause the Pompey back line many problems as they clocked up their 4th clean sheet in 5 games, and Pompey had a chance to wrap the game up in stoppage time from the penalty spot, but substitute Gary Roberts blazed over once again as Pompey were making a habit of missing from 12 yards. It proved to be inconsequential however as Pompey won the game by the single goal, completing an important double against their promotion rivals.

Doncaster had recently taken over at the top of League Two, and Pompey's midweek trip to the Keepmoat was worthy enough to see the Sky camera's come to town, but Pompey's performance wasn't well rehearsed as they missed a chance to close the gap on the top 3.

John Marquis followed the script by opening the scoring after 5 minutes against his old club. Naismith levelled for Pompey with a cool 1-on-1 finish but a thunderbolt from Tommy Rowe followed by a second from Marquis was enough to see Pompey off, despite having plenty of chances at the other end. Marquis would finish the season as the league's top scorer, level with another former Pompey player, John Akinde – both scoring 26 goals.

Leyton Orient were next to visit Fratton, who were starting to incur some problems off the pitch. On the pitch, things weren't quite as drastic despite losing their last 2 games. Conor Chaplin had an eventful 60 seconds midway through the first half, after Enda Stevens won a penalty. The youngster stepped up and saw his effort parried wide by Alex Cisak, but less than 45 seconds later he had given Pompey the lead after Baker's cross fell in his path. Gavin Massey tied matters up before half time with a sublime effort, but Chaplin had the last laugh, again profiting from Carl Baker's work to head home from close range. Orient would go on to lose 18 of their last 23 games, ending their 112 year tenure in the Football League.

January would end with another home game against in-form Exeter, who were unbeaten in 9 (winning 7 of them). The Grecians frustrated Pompey who struggled to create chances, with Conor Chaplin guilty of missing from close range early on. David Wheeler scored the only goal of the game, clinically finishing after being inadvertently put through by Danny Rose. Gareth Evans tested Christy Pym from distance, but the away team comfortably held on for all 3 points and extending their unbeaten run to 10.

Despite losing twice in January, Pompey had closed the gap on 3rd place Carlisle who had gone 4 games without a win.

Deadline day saw Pompey do a shrewd piece of business, with Michael Smith who had been struggling for form sent on loan to Northampton, with Preston's Eoin Doyle coming in on loan to play under Paul Cook for a third different club. Cook was coming under some severe pressure by his doubters and the consensus was he would be gone at the end of the season should he fail to win promotion. With 6 games in February it was make or break for the Blues' boss.
 
The start of January saw two new arrivals from Hampton and Richmond. Pompey fans had been keeping an eye on Jamal Lowe but were pleased to hear he'd be joined by teammate Nicke Kabamba.


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You know, really cannot recall too much about January aside from the Luton win and Exeter defeat!

Who would have thought the two John's, Akinde and Marquis, would have gone on to be so prolific after leaving Fratton Park? Hardly showed too many signed with Pompey did they?

Then again, Doncaster aside of course, it proved again with Akinde that goals don't assure success - Paul Cook's always said a 20 goal a season man doesn't always amount to much, in terms of success.
 
A lot can change in the space of a few weeks in football, and with fixtures piling up in front of them, Pompey needed to find form if they were to make themselves serious contenders for automatic promotion.

This push didn't get off to the best start after a fruitless trip to Wycombe. Eoin Doyle and Jamal Lowe made their first starts, and the latter could have given Pompey the lead in the opening seconds had his shot not gone inches wide of the post. The only goal of the game came shortly after the restart, Scott Kashket grabbing his 15th of the season thanks to a wicked deflection which left Forde stranded.

It was a tough defeat for Pompey who suffered back-to-back defeats for only the 3rd time under Paul Cook. With other promotion contenders all playing well Pompey had slipped to 7th in the table, 7 points off the automatic places and 17 off leaders Doncaster. A succession of midweek games meant Pompey had 10 games in the next 35 days, and with a potential 30 points to play for things had to improve.

Accrington came to Fratton Park on a crisp February afternoon, and despite going 90 minutes without scoring, Pompey left having won 2-0. Matt Clarke opened the scoring within 2 minutes from a well worked Lowe/Roberts corner routine, and the same player could have had the unlikeliest of hat-tricks had he not squandered another two chances. Pompey had to wait until the 92nd minute to seal the game, Kal Naismith had time to compose himself and when put 1-on-1 with Marek Rodak he slotted home with ease, sending the 48 travelling fans home empty handed.

Pompey's first midweek fixture at Fratton came on Valentine's night as Blackpool came to town, and the Blues were breaking Tangerine hearts as they rallied to their 2nd victory in 4 days. Gareth Evans had hit the crossbar earlier in the match before side-footing an effort into the corner from 18 yards to give Pompey a deserved lead. Blackpool had a few half chances, but it was Pompey who were in control with Roberts and Baker both having chances to double the lead. Pompey had to wait until the 95th minute for their second, as Baker and Eoin Doyle played a neat 1-2, leaving the on-loan Irishman the simple task of tapping home to open his Pompey account.

Scoring late goals was becoming a feature of Pompey's play, and not only had they netted more times in the last 15 minutes than anyone in England, they had also conceded less. In 30 matches, Pompey had only once conceded after the 76th minute. A trip to Barnet was about to double that record. In an uneventful and forgettable game, Barnet finally broke the deadlock with 10 minutes remaining when Mauro Vilhete scored a stunning free kick to give the Bee's a crucial lead. But despite being out of sorts all day, Pompey refused to lie down and a determined Conor Chaplin muscled his way through a few challenges before rifling a 20 yard bullet home in the final minute to give Pompey a respectable point away from home.

Pompey had taken 7 points from 3 games going into what many considered our biggest game of the season at Brunton Park. Carlisle had picked up some form again and were 6 points clear of Pompey ahead of the match. A home victory would have extended this gap to 9 points and would have all but ended Pompey's automatic promotion hopes, and even put a play-off spot in jeopardy.

It's on small margins that a whole season can turn, and had the referee awarded Carlisle a penalty when the ball struck Evans on the arm, or had Jamie Proctor got his close range header on target, Pompey's season may well have ended differently. But it was to be Pompey's day, and with less than 20 minutes remaining Gary Roberts went on a great solo run and scooped the ball home with the outside of his foot to send the 1,200 away fans who made the 700 mile round trip into a frenzy. This frenzy became ecstasy with 5 minutes to go when Amine Linganzi scored his first goal for the club with a cracking low drive from all of 25 yards. And ecstasy turned to delirium in stoppage time when Pompey's own Jack Whatmough unexpectedly found himself through on goal, and despite squaring the ball, it found its way back to him and he poked the ball home for his first ever Pompey goal.

After the high of Carlisle, Pompey were about to be brought back down earth at Fratton Park, with games upcoming against Morecambe and Crewe. Fans expected 6 points, 4 would have been disappointing but anything less would be a disaster.

The Shrimps were on a decent run, having only lost once in 2017 (in 11 games), but Pompey looked to have the game under control when Kal Naismith came off the bench and instantly put Pompey into the lead with a 25 yard daisy cutter which crept inside the post. Morecambe had rarely threatened on the night, but dealt Pompey a clubbing blow in the closing minutes when Lee Molyneux found himself through on goal and made no mistake to cost Pompey a place in the top 3.

This deflating blow at the end of an exhausting month left Portsmouth in 4th place, 2 points off Carlisle and still 12 points behind leaders Donny. February had seen Pompey take 11 points from 6 games and close the gap on Carlisle to 2 points, but one more twist was awaiting in Pompey's push for promotion, at that was to come at the start of March.
 
A lot can change in the space of a few weeks, and with fixtures piling up in front of them, Pompey needed to find form if they were to make themselves serious contenders.


<br><br><a href ="http://www.vitalfootball.co.uk/router.asp?581666">Click here to read the article</a><br><br>
 
In all honesty, as much as I never really felt the play-offs wouldn't be possible, I wasn't convinced a top-three finish would be achieved at this stage - let alone Pompey winning the title.

17 points off Doncaster in early February. Yes, we finished the season on fire but how badly did Donny stutter at the end!
 
The thing is, although we were 17 points off Donny, they didn't even crumble until the final 4 games.

The lost only 1 of their 11 games before the last 4, and only lost twice in total between mid-December and mid-April, so to say that they crumbled is only true about the very last 4 games. To claw some of that 17 point gap back while Donny were still in form put us in a great position to pounce and take that 12 point killer blow once they capitulated after promotion was confirmed.
 
Every season has its highs and lows. The draw at home to Morecambe was a body blow for Pompey, but little did we know that the next home game against Crewe was to be our turning point.


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Every season has its highs and lows. The draw at home to Morecambe was a bit of a body blow for Pompey, but little did they know that the next home game against Crewe was to be our turning point of the season, a game which would be remembered for all the wrong reasons.

A victory for Pompey would have seen them leapfrog stuttering Carlisle into 3rd place and with Crewe languishing one place above the drop zone having won just twice in their last 16 games, Pompey were heavy favourites before kick-off.

But Crewe won the game. Not only did they win the game, their stubborn defence stopped Pompey from having any shots on target in the whole 90 minutes. It widely considered to be Portsmouth's worst performance in recent memory and the mood at full time was one of anger, frustration and resignation that promotion was not on the cards. In fact, many fans now feared we would not make a play-off place, and that Cook had lost the dressing room. 13 points off leaders Doncaster and 5th in the table, things had hit rock bottom.

The good thing about congested fixture lists is that when you lose a game, you don't have to wait long to look for redemption. This came in the form of a rearranged fixture away to Crawley after some winter weather saw the game called off previous. Pompey had the better of the first half, with the best opportunity falling to Eoin Doyle from the penalty spot, but like Roberts, Chaplin and Naismith before him, Doyle added his name to the list of missed penalties when Glenn Morris denied him. The Crawley 'keeper also had to be on hand to deny Bennett, Baker and Evans.

But cometh the hour (or 5 minutes before the hour) and it was Christian Burgess on hand once again to score a crucial goal to give the Blues the lead, and when Bennett doubled the lead with 20 minutes to go the points were safe. Little did Paul Cook and his team know they were about to go on one of their best runs of form in history.

Despite coming under a lot of scrutiny for recent performances, a lapse in form for Carlisle had seen them drop more points, which meant that somehow Pompey had made their way into the Top 3 for the first time in 2017. A tricky trip to play-off chasing Colchester was to really fill fans with confidence. Eoin Doyle stooped to head Pompey into the lead midway through the first half, and after the break Pompey laid siege to the U's goal, with Bennett scoring within seconds of the restart before Danny Rose and Michael Doyle completed the 4-0 rout to put Pompey 4 points clear in the automatic promotion places with just 10 games remaining.

Away from home Pompey were playing some outstanding stuff, but for Pompey to win promotion Fratton Park needed to become a Fortress once again. Under the lights against Grimsby, the old girl was back to her bouncing best. Pompey started where they left off against Colchester and dismantled Grimsby from whistle to whistle. Bennett, Rose and Baker all got on the scoresheet before halftime, and the resurgent Kal Naismith completed the rout minutes after the restart. For the first time this season, there was an air of belief around the stadium, and the 6 point cushion was getting more and more comfortable.

Not many in attendance were aware, but there was a rather important guest in the stands at Fratton that night getting his first taste of Fortress Fratton under the lights. That man was Michael Eisner, who later in the week declared an interest in buying Portsmouth. On and off the pitch fans were getting their voices heard and it was exciting times for all involved.

Next up, Pompey travelled to Stevenage, who had won 8 of their last 10 games and were not out of the automatic promotion race just yet. Injuries saw Paul Cook tinker with the formation and line up, opting for a 3-5-2 system that many had been calling for all season. Pompey were well and truly ripped apart by a strong Stevenage team; Jack King, Matt Godden and Jobi McAnuff were all on target for the Borough as the eased to a 3-0 victory whilst Pompey ended the game with 10 men after Burgess picked up a second yellow card. This defeat meant there was only 3 points separating them from Luton in 4th, and a whopping 13 point gap to leaders Doncaster.

Unlike previous defeats, Portsmouth took the Stevenage result on the chin ahead of their final game of the month against Newport. They knew that Stevenage and Luton were breathing down their necks, and anything other than 3 points against Newport (who were just gaining momentum in their push for a 'Great Escape) would be a disappointment. Thankfully, this was not the case as Kyle Bennett and Kal Naismith continued their fine goalscoring runs to give Pompey a 2 goal lead. Alex Samuel did give the Exiles some hope but Pompey saw out the nervy final minutes to record their 4th win of the month. Incidentally, Newport were 8 points off safety and Pompey were 10 points off the leaders with just 7 games to go. My how things change!

Victory over Newport restored the 6 point gap between 3rd and 4th, and although March had its low points, Pompey finished the month with 12 points out of a possible 18. Off the pitch, Mr. Eisner's takeover talks were gaining some momentum as he entered an exclusivity period with the club. There was no doubting that Pompey would be quite a favourable acquisition should they continue their path to promotion
 
As previously said, I never really had any concerns about Pompey's ability to finish in the top-seven but, after Crewe, I had little faith we would secure automatic promotion, I cannot lie.

Them again some actually thought we could even miss the play-offs.

My, how things changed after that - despite the loss at Stevenage later in the month.
 
PompeyFrippy - 23/5/2017 14:13

The thing is, although we were 17 points off Donny, they didn't even crumble until the final 4 games.

The lost only 1 of their 11 games before the last 4, and only lost twice in total between mid-December and mid-April, so to say that they crumbled is only true about the very last 4 games. To claw some of that 17 point gap back while Donny were still in form put us in a great position to pounce and take that 12 point killer blow once they capitulated after promotion was confirmed.
Click to expand...

I didn't actually realise the decline was so rapid in the final games to be honest Frippy, so have picked up something new today.
 
Portsmouth had a 6 point gap at the start of April and were playing as good as they had done all season, but with 7 crucial games remaining (6 of which were in April), not even the most optimistic of Pompey fans could have predicted how the season was about to unfold.

April Fool's Day saw Pompey travel to Hartlepool, who were sitting a comfortable 8 points clear of the relegation zone despite having lost their last 2 games. But there was no joking around from the travelling Blues who produced a fine performance to take all 3 points. Kal Naismith continued his brilliant run of form to open the scoring and Gary Roberts came off the bench at half time to double the lead. Eyebrows were raised when Noel Hunt went off with an injury, and Paul Cook opted to play Naismith up top instead of calling on Chaplin or Kabamba, but his decision was justified when he and Roberts linked up several times in the second half as Pompey strode to victory. Hartlepool on the other hand went on to let their 8 point cushion diminish and were relegated from the Football League.

Pompey retained a 6 point gap over 4th place Stevenage ahead of their home tie with Yeovil. The Glovers were safe with no chance of making the play-offs, so came into the match with no pressure. Portsmouth done the unthinkable on 15 minutes when after Gary Roberts was felled in the box, and Gareth Evans actually scored from 12 yards, something Pompey hadn't done since August after 7 attempts! Yeovil had drew more games than anyone else in the country, including 12 draws in their 19 games since Christmas, so when Francois Zoko equalised for Yeovil courtesy of a large deflection of Enda Steven's, Pompey heads could have easily of dropped. But that was not the case as Kal Naismith made it 4 goals in 5 games to put Pompey in the lead, and with 10 minutes to go Jamal Lowe opened his Pompey account with a tight angled finish to give the Blues all 3 points and push them 8 points clear in the promotion places.

The Yeovil win was a crucial one for Pompey, with many believing we were now out of reach from the chasing pack. 5 games remained with a much superior goal difference the gap was essentially 9 points. With Good Friday approaching the Sky cameras were in town to capture a promotion decider between Pompey and their 13th geographically closest 'rivals' in League 2, Plymouth.

Plymouth have been Pompey's undoing the last few years, and late goals have given Pompey nightmares including play-off heartbreak the season before. A win for the Pilgrims would see them officially promoted, something which their 2,644 travelling fans saw inch a step closer after former Blue Jake Jervis nodded the Green Army ahead in the opening 15 minutes. Portsmouth were knocking the ball around nicely and creating opportunities, but Plymouth always looked a threat on the counter. Pompey equalised on the hour when Luke McCormack spilled Kyle Bennett's cross into the path of Gary Roberts, who lashed the ball home to earn Pompey a valuable point, and more importantly kept Plymouth from celebrating promotion at Fratton Park (despite waiting 30 minutes to see if other results would go their way!).

With 4 games to play, Pompey had an 8 point gap, which meant a win at Notts County coupled with Luton failing to win would confirm promotion to League One. Doncaster still led the league and were 10 points clear, so only a collapse of monumental proportions would give Pompey any hope of winning a trophy(!).

It had been 14 years since Pompey had last tasted promotion, around about the time that Harry Redknapp signed a young Welshman called Richard Duffy. So it was pretty fitting that the same player was instrumental in giving Portsmouth the lead, inexplicably hauling down Kal Naismith to give Evans the chance to open the scoring from the spot, which he did with aplomb. Other results were going Pompey's way, so when Jorge Grant equalised shortly after the restart it was looking like the champagne was going to be put on ice.

But Pompey had other ideas, and a hero was about to be born in the shape of Jamal Lowe. The 22 year old picked up the ball on the corner of the penalty area, turned and rifled home bullet of a shot to give Pompey the lead and send the 4,800 travelling fans into raptures. In the dying minutes, Lowe was set through on goal again, and despite looking like he was about 10 yards offside, the flag stayed down and he coolly converted to put the game to bed. News filtered in from elsewhere that Luton had failed to win, which was met by wild celebrations and an outpouring of fans from the stands to the pitch. Pompey had done it, promoted with 3 games to spare, something that looked so unlikely just a month beforehand, but a great run of form at a crucial time had seen them home.

It was an emotional occasion as the players were lifted aloft, as they embraced one another and fans showed their adulations for the team that had brought Pompey their first success after 9 years of sliding down the leagues. Notts County staff also have to be commended for not only allowing Pompey to celebrate, but for going out of their way to play Mike Oldfield's Portsmouth over the tannoy, and allowing the Pompey players and staff to use the balcony for their champagne inspired celebrations for a day that will live long in the memory.

Paul Cook was full of emotion, but despite the Blues departing League Two at the fourth attempt, Cook promised integrity and said Pompey would play out the rest of the season with the same effort and commitment, even if there was seemingly nothing to play for.

Fratton Park was filled to the brim as fans gathered to welcome home their heroes, and they were rewarded with an early goal from Carl Baker against Cambridge, who were fighting for a play-off spot. Pompey doubled their lead with a precise Kal Naismith free-kick just after the break for what should have been a comfortable victory, until Luke Berry made it a nervy last 10 minutes after curling home a stunning free kick. He nearly repeated this feat in stoppage time, but this time around David Forde was on hand to acrobatically tip round the post to grant Portsmouth all 3 points. Once again, Plymouth drew and Doncaster lost, which meant Pompey had closed the gap on those above. 2nd place Plymouth were now only 2 points away, and Doncaster just 4 with just 2 games remaining. Pompey were looking to take it to a final day showdown.

Pompey's penultimate game of the season was a trip to Mansfield who, like Cambridge, needed a win to give themselves a chance of grabbing a play-off place. Pompey, who were 66/1 to win the league just 2 weeks ago were now cut to 12/1, although things didn't get off to the best start as Mansfield dominated the first half without capitalising. Baker had already walked the disciplinary tightrope earlier in the game, and at the start of the second half Mansfield's Danny Rose stripped Matt Clarke of possession and was in on goal when Clarke resorted to what can only be called a blatant rugby tackle to deny him. With everyone in attendance awaiting the referee to pull out a red card, the home fans and players were furious when only a yellow was produced, Matt Clarke the most relieved man in Nottinghamshire.

Pompey were again left relieved minutes later when Rhys Bennett put the ball past Forde and into the back of the net, only to be denied his celebrations by the linesman’s flag. Things got even better for Pompey on the hour when Carl Baker scored his 2nd goal in a week when he turned his defender inside and out, and his shot took a slight deflection on its way to the net. Matt Green and Kal Naismith were both guilty of spurning glorious chances late on, but somehow it was Pompey who left with all 3 points in a game Mansfield would have felt unlucky to leave with a point. To make it even sweeter, Doncaster had lost at home to Exeter, which meant there was still a chance Pompey could finish the season as Champions.

Pompey only had one game remaining, and after an April which saw them collect 16 points from 6 games nobody wanted the season to end. However, before the season was over there was to be one final twist that nobody could have expected...
 
Pompey had a 6 point gap and were playing as good as they had all season, but with 7 games remaining, not even the most optimistic fan could have predicted how it would unfold.


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This was the month when it 'really' happened wasn't it, when you really believed a top-three finish was absolutely done and dusted, and I mean early on.

Absolutely awesome day at Notts County, a real highlight of my Pompey following days, forget the season. As Frippy says credit to County for the show they provided for us after Jamal Lowe came off the bench to show real quality with two classy finishes.

I'd started to think oye oye we could win this, as unlikely as it seemed...
 
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