By Patrick Lay
 
When I bought my ticket for my first Pompey (Men’s) game this season for Burton Albion away during the recent international break, I did so with a fear I might jinx our proud unbeaten run of 27 matches.  

So if there was one crumb of comfort from our capitulation at home to Blackpool last Saturday which ended our incredible run under John Mousinho, I knew it would not be me who was the bad omen.
 
So both myself and the team could both travel to Dino Maamria’s 17th place Burton Albion with a blank canvas as we looked to chase top spot again after Bolton leapfrogged us by 2 points and a goal difference now 8 superior to us.
 
I missed Pompey’s 2-0 win at the Pirelli stadium last season, but on my two previous visits there (September 2013 and April 2019), both times Pompey won 2-1.  So I would certainly take another narrow away win for us to bounce back from Saturday.
 
Ahead of the game, I had a look on footballgroundguide.com for away friendly pubs. Some great choices were listed as you’d expect from the town known as ‘the brewing capital of Britain’.  

But Tower Brewery on Glensyl Way circa 15 minutes walk south of the ground seemed an absolute must.  This old Victorian water tower that was restored to its former brewing glory in the early noughties has a small snug room.  

However, as the ground guide suggested this isn’t always open on matchdays and the venue’s website confirmed that it is on Fridays only that their Brewery Tap room is open.
 
I set off from Birmingham (where I live) about 4:30ish to tactically miss the 2nd city rush hour and made the comparatively short 34 mile drive across the A38 and found parking near the ground around half 5.  

When planning to visit the Tower Brewery, I saw Wetmore Fish & Chips is just around the corner, so as I had plenty of time this seemed a good shout for my evening meal.  

The impressive selection of football memorabilia on the wall inside suggests this must be a popular eatery on matchdays.  Credit due as well for being allowed to use one of their 2 small tables inside to eat without an additional charge.
 

As it was still a good hour an after before kick-off, I popped round the corner to see the impressive looking Tower Brewery and as pictured, this would definitely be a very popular venue.

My pub ‘Plan B’ was the Great Northern at it’s at the other end of Wetmore Road from the chippy towards the ground.  It’s a nice traditional pub that I understand serves a guest ale on match days, but owing to me driving, it was pre-match Coca Cola for me.

I saw several Pompey fans in there (most with no colours) and spoke to some fellow Northern Blues about their thoughts on last Saturday.  It seems that most of our fans think it could have been a different game but for three obvious key moments (oh well!).

It seemed a very friendly pub and it’s always nice to mingle with opposing fans.  One of the Burton fans I spoke to acknowledged from experience how far a journey it is for the bulk of our fans as he regularly enjoys going to the IOW festival.  But when I told him I only drove from Brum, like me he thought well you’re alright then, as we shook hands and wished each other luck for tonight.  
 
I sensibly left the pub not long after 7 as the away end is standing.  Although terracing is nowhere near as packed now as I remember from the 90s, it is always good to allow enough time to get a good vantage point.  

I did still manage to go around the perimeter of the Pirelli Stadium (which opened as recently as 2005) for a few photos.  Whilst a number of fans often criticise new purpose-built stadiums, Burton’s ground has clearly proved a key part to the Brewers establishing themselves as a Football League club.

Inside an already busy East Terrace, I found a space on the back row, but as the terrace is only 15 rows deep, I was still fairly close to the action as pictured.
 
 
The stadium inside is very functional with breeze blocks at the back of the terraces, but the perfect blank canvas as pictured for many yellow and black flags on 2 sides, oh and some Pompey ones in our end.

Pompey fans travelled in good numbers to Staffordshire (1,164 in fact) on a bitterly cold Tuesday night (the polar opposite to my last visit here on a sunny Good Friday 2019).  We filled the majority of our allocation both behind the goal and in the wing of the main stand to our left.

After the teams made their way on the pitch (with Pompey in their salmon pink and burgundy 3rd kit), the teams lined the centre circle for a minute’s applause for both football legend and former Pompey chairman Terry Venables who passed away aged 80 last Saturday.  

Plus former Burton striker Dale Anderson who played such a key role in the Brewers climb from (what is now) the National League North to the National League who died earlier this month aged just 44.

El Tel was then given a good send off by the Pompey fans who chanted “Terry Venables, Venables, Terry Venables…” to a certain KC & The Sunshine Band song.  As the England Euro 96 manager also had a great singing voice, hopefully he’ll have been impressed from the sky.
 
As the game started, Pompey steadily took the game to the hosts with some exciting play in particular by the blossoming Abu Kamara cutting in from the right, but Pompey weren’t able to create any obvious chances.  

Then after a quarter of an hour, the game’s first real chance fell to Burton striker Kwadwo Baah who surged forward and unleashed a powerful drive just outside the penalty area which Will Norris had to dive low to his right to deny their on-loan Watford striker as the rebounded cross back in eluded their strikers and flew harmlessly wide.
 
Our fans as ever were in good voice as Pompey and Kamara in particular continued to press and our breakthrough came on 38 minutes.  

A fine exchange of passes down the right hand side from our own home half saw Kamara surge into the box before an ungainly challenge by Steve Seddon (on loan at Pompey in 2020) gave away a penalty.

Then up stepped the ever-dependable Colby Bishop who made no mistake from the spot as he sent keeper Max Crocombe the wrong way.  The 11th goal of the season for the man who wears a magic hat.
 

However, our leading scorer’s evening would end just minutes before the break as Bishop picked up an ankle injury after falling awkwardly from a challenge that meant he would have to be substituted at the break.  This is the 4th player this season (along with Kusini Yengi, Marlon Pack and Connor Ogilvie) to have picked up an ankle injury.
 
HT: Burton Albion 0-1 Pompey 
 
Kusini Yengi was the man who replaced Bishop in attack as we looked to build on our slender advantage with both sides kicking to their respective fans this half.  But it was the hosts who applied the early second half pressure and a Steve Seddon free kick into the box saw Cole Stockton’s header dealt comfortably by Norris.
 
As the half progressed, Kamara again posed a real attacking threat with some separate bursts into the box but was shut out by Burton’s defence.  But on 63 minutes, some breathing space arrived for Pompey from a fantastic break that started in bizarre circumstances.  
 
The hosts mustered a promising attack as Baah cut in from the right and looked to shoot before colliding with his team mate Mark Helm as the ball was then collected and played back to Will Norris.

Norris delivered the ball to Christian Saydee who skilfully took the ball down and out muscled Burton’s midfield to find Kamara surging down the right.  Kamara found Joe Rafferty on the overlap in the box who squared to Alex Robertson to slide it into the corner of the net for 2-0.
 
This was the on-loan Man City midfielder’s first goal for us and his first in senior football which the Australian international savoured in front of the jubilant Pompey fans.

Burton weren’t finished though and still created several chances.  Mason Bennett came close to halving the deficit as he turned into space before unleashing a curling drive from the edge of the box which was heading for the bottom corner before Norris pushed it away.
 
Pompey also continued to press in the hope of adding a third and it was that man Abu Kamara who again burst into the box but was closed down after a few too many touches when shooting earlier would have been his best option.
 
Late on the Brewers were reduced to 10 men after a 50-50 ball between Kamara and Seddon bounced towards the right hand side.  But the Burton defender’s boot was too high and caught Kamara on the head as Seddon’s second yellow card of the night saw him dismissed.  Thankfully Kamara was OK as Pompey picked up a well-earned and crucial three points to get back to winning ways.

FT: Burton Albion 0-2 Pompey
Att: 2,749
 
As the players and most of our fans embarked on the 181 mile trip home from DE13, there was the added bonus of Oxford United v Bolton Wanderers and Stevenage v Peterborough United both ending in draws, meaning our promotion rivals took points off each other.  Pompey remained 2nd but behind leaders Bolton just on goal difference.  
 
However, Colby Bishop’s ankle injury remains a concern for everyone at Fratton Park, which at the time of me writing, we are still waiting for the results of his scan.  
 
So on to our rearranged match at mid-table Northampton on Saturday as we look pick up our first win at Sixfields since December 2015.  PUP PPU.