On this day Saints visited Fratton Park for perhaps the most unevenly matched South Coast Derby ever, which at the final whistle saw the home team relegated.

There could not be more contrast between the two clubs when they ran out for an evening fixture at Fratton Park on a balmy April evening, three days earlier Saints had beaten Crystal Palace in the FA Cup semi final at Stamford Bridge and where now looking forward to their trip to Wembley for the final, whilst Pompey sat second from bottom in the old second division, knowing that defeat would leave them ten points behind fourth from bottom Carlisle and with only two points for a win in those days aligned by their far worse goal average, that they would be all but relegated barring a miracle.

Saints arrived at Fratton still with feint hopes of promotion, seven points off of third but with two games in hand, not that that many people were bothered with all thoughts to Wembley, 24,115 assembled in Fratton including a decent turnout of Saints fans on the unsegregated Milton End.

First big news of the day was when the teams ran out, Saints fans noticed that Jim McCalliog, Peter Osgood Jim Steele were missing, what they didnt know at this stage was that all three had been dropped due to over celebrating the semi final win, what Pompey fans didnt seem to know was that the man wearing Saints number nine shirt was not Osgood but Pat Earles as they gave "Peter Osgood" what they now refer to as a good scumming, every time Earles went near the ball he was greeted with the cry of Chelsea Reject and worse, the fact that Earles was 5ft 7 whilst Osgood 6ft 1 made it even more baffling Steve Williams replacing McCalliog was making his debut for Saints.

The game was pretty nondescript, Pompey huffed and puffed and had a few chances against a revamped Saints side, but as the game went in the second half the visitors got a grip and reaped the benefit with a minute to go when Earles headed back a cross to Channon who smashed the ball home in front of the Saints supporters to emphasise the difference between the two sides, with Pompey going down after being beaten four times by Saints in their two seasons together in the second division.

Pompey fans reacted in their time honoured fashion, the Fratton End emptied and its occupants appeared behind the away end punching and kicking any Saints supporter they could find, man woman or child.

Pompey would gain only three more points in their final five games and would finish rock bottom 12 points off of safety, for Saints this would be the first of three straight wins, indeed in their final seven games between the semi and the final they would lose only two winning the other five, however if they had won those two games lost, over the Easter period away to Plymouth and Bristol Rovers, although they would have been level with third placed West Brom, they would still have lost out on goal difference.

Photo: Action Images

ThereIn76 added 11:00 - Apr 3 Depends - if Saints had really rattled in the goals against Plymouth and Bristol Rovers, or if they'd gone into the final match at home to Hull needing a big win (in the event the score was 1-0), they might have overhauled WBA. Or, maybe more to the point, if the win at Fratton hadn't been the only away victory since the turn of the year . . .
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SaintDavo added 11:33 - Apr 3 I was at that game and remember fratton end empty when we scored and soon appearing at the saints end, very frightening for a 13 year old boy I can tell you because as normal they were like f******g animals...family club of the year my arse !!! Always amazes me how 'neutrals' always say how great the blue few fans are, when in reality they are knuckle dragging cowards... I hope we smash them on saturday !!!

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stmichael added 11:39 - Apr 3 Was there too in the Pompey end with my Uncle. Dont rememeber why as he is a saints fan too. Safe enough in there and an easy walk to the car however my cousin went by mini bus and was terrorised. Was 12 years old.
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