Saints went down to Pompey for yet another testimonial.

Alan Knight had been Pompey keeper for what seemed like decades, he had played in not only the classic FA Cup encounter ten years earlier, but even in the previously covered Duggie Reid testimonial 14 years back, he wasnt finished yet, indeed he would play in the 96 game at the Dell, but for now it was his testimonial game and 16,831 came out to pay their respects for the man they called the Legend in PO Postcodes.

Saints themselves had breathed a huge sigh of relief three days earlier having stayed up in the Premier with a draw at Upton Park against West Ham.

Saints brought their full first team squad and of course then Saints boss Alan Ball being an ex Pompey manager who had picked Knight on numerous occasions wanted to pay his respects,  

For their part it was more a Pompey side past and present, on one end of the scale it included players like Darren Anderton then at the peak of his talents with both Spurs and England and at the other more veteran ex Pompey players who had played alongside Knight at the beginning of his career, so this was always going to be less competitive game and more pantomime.

But Saints with the pressure off revelled in the chance to play with a swagger and at the centre was Le Tissier who recieved almost constant abuse throughout the game, Iain Dowir opened the scoring on 16 minutes and then Neil Maddison added a second to take a two goal half time lead in what up until then had been pretty much a game between two "First" sides going for it.

After the break though,Pompey had a tactical brainwave and took off one man and replaced him with two substitutes, for a while this went unoticed and they held their own, but once spotted and rectified by the ref, Saints went into overdrive, Craig Maskell converted Nicky Bangers cross as the two subs combined and then on 65 minutes Kenna left Knight for dead with a sublime floated cross to the far post and when David Hughes scored with ten minutes left yet another pompey goalkeeper had been treated to backache in his own testimonial by Saints

At the end it was pure pantomime, Saints brought on Alan Ball and even Dave Beasant up front, wearing his goalkeeping gloves for full effect, the ref awarded Pompey a dodgy penalty in order that Knight may step up and score from it, Saints keeper Ian Andrews not making too much of an attempt to save.

All in all it was a good evenings entertainment even if it was the first clash of the two clubs to not be contested with vigour, however a game wouldnt be a game at Fratton unless Pompey fans ran on the pitch and made a pantomime attempt to get at Saints fans, as usual though they were content to get within about 20 yards and then be held back.             

Photo: Action Images

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