Pompey Preview: JFK on defensive lapses

After two impressive 0-0 games at Chelsea and the Beasts, we thought our defensive ills might have been slightly closer to being solved. However Stoke was one of those alarming cases of déjà vu as they spectacularly imploded to another 2-2 draw from a position of great strength against a team who offered so little in the first half.

It`s little wonder in his pre-Pompey notes, Joe Kinnear earmarked this specific area as our one to improve on, saying:

"We`ve got to learn to shut a match down when we get a good lead and we`ve got to be more resilient. It`s the second time we`ve been 2-1 up. It was the same as Wigan, when Titus Bramble scored, and again a centre-half has done us in the 90th minute against Stoke.

We`ve got to learn from it - and we have to be honest. People have got to take the responsibility. It was job done against Stoke on Saturday at 2-0 up. Stoke`s main threat, in Rory Delap with the long throws, hadn`t worked and they were trying other things. Then he was subbed and it should have been game over - we should have shut it down. But we didn`t. We left it open and they hit back at us."

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