Roger:
We were beaten by the better team.
Barbara:
Down but not out! Despite going down 3-0, the Clarets gave a good account of themselves. Steve Stone ran the show - he really was exceptional. A pity that West missed the penalty. He rattled the crossbar, but if he'd scored, things could have been different.
Alan (Pompey supporter):
In the first half, we played very well for the first thirty-five minutes or so, and then Burnley came back into it for the last ten minutes. The second half was more even. We had a fortunate second goal when the ball bounced over Burnley's keeper. Even at 2-0, Burnley hit the bar with a penalty, forced a clearance off the line and had several chances to score, so it could have gone to 2-2 or even 3-2.
To be fair to Burnley, they kept going right to the end, and were full of enthusiasm. The difference between the two sides may have been that Burnley didn't take their chances. The scoreline flattered us a bit.
Harry Redknapp has done a marvellous job. Since taking over from Rix, he has quickly changed the personnel and turned things around.
Our most influential player this season to date has probably been Paul Merson. Having said that, he's not dominated so much for the past couple of games. That's good, though, because we're not relying on one player. Everyone else is chipping in. The side as a whole is good, and we should be favourites for promotion.
We'd like to thank Alan for agreeing to participate in our vox pop and answering our questions.
Woody:
In the first half, we were completely outclassed. In the second half, we were very much more involved as Portsmouth tired. We missed our chance to get back into the game, and paid the price. The better side won.
Firmo:
The best team won today - fair enough. I hope that Burnley supporters develop the maturity to realise that sometimes we play teams that are better than us, and they win. That's what happened today.
It never deserved to be 3-0: we had chances in the second half, particularly the penalty. Their second goal was soft, too. But in the end it was a fair result, if not a fair scoreline.
A word about Portsmouth. Some people have a problem with what they've done. I don't. They've seen that this season is their golden opportunity to get promoted, they've got the money, and they're going for it. If we had the money, would we do any different? They've got a decent manager, and some really good forward players. They're quick, skilful, and they play on the defence. They're not top of the League for nothing.
Ultimately, today we lost to the team at the top of the table, and there's no shame in that. We've had a good run; all these runs end, but the results at Leicester and Ipswich were sensational. From the point of view of a side aiming for fifty points, we afforded ourselves a defeat today. If someone had said to me on that awful night at Reading that we would go this many games without losing, I would have ordered a pint of whatever they were drinking. It was a good run while it lasted. Here's to the next!
Kieron:
A bit disappointing. I've only seen two League games this season: Reading away, and today! We played well, apart from the first half hour. Merson and Stone against Branch was a problem, and once we were 2-0 down and chasing the game, 3-0 wasn't a surprise. At least it was an improvement over the Reading performance!
John:
I've got them both now - Grinand and Bear It! What will I call the next two? I may have to hide them later in the season, as I've heard that some of my fellow London Clarets are thinking about a bonfire!
I was pleased with our performance overall - at least we weren't absolutely massacred. In the second half, we managed to stop them playing. We also had four or five chances to score - and missed them all. Still, I was pleased with the performance. If we play like that against other teams, we'll do well. And the bear family won't get any bigger!
Editor's note: after we lost at home to Sheffield United, John purchased a small blue bear from the Club Shop, which he named "Grinand". He then vowed to buy another bear each time we lost a home game. Hence "Bear It", which is a small claret bear. What do you think are the odds on the bears ending the season intact?
Pic of the day
The Web Tsarina has been indisposed, and was unable to attend today's game. Sadly, this meant no "live" picture. (Would you trust Senseless Paddy with your camera? Thought not.) So, just to cheer you up, here's a picture of Sweetie, an ardent Claret from Essex, sporting her new Burnley hat. Unfortunately she couldn't make today's game either, but she's still proud to be a Claret!
As with all articles on the site, the views expressed in the vox pop section are those of the individual contributors, and do not necessarily reflect the view of the Burnley FC London Supporters Club.
