Port Vale 0 Portsmouth 1: Neil Allen's verdict - It's 'Top of the league playing with 4-4-2' as popular face from Blues past glimpses intriguing future

After all, not since the goal-scoring favourite sported the star and crescent have the Blues come remotely close to being liberated from soul-sapping residency of their lower-division dungeon.

Admittedly, there have previously been fleeting glimpses of daylight, namely topping the table at Christmas 2020 following a 2-0 success at Hull.

Then, 12 months ago, there were three short-lived days at number one, having defeated Shrewsbury 1-0 at Fratton Park in the third league outing of the campaign.

Yet nothing possibly compares to Pompey’s swaggering three-and-and-half month dominance at the head of League One in 2018-19 – only to finish fourth.

The scars remain for Evans and team-mates from that seemingly unconquerable Kenny Jackett side. Likewise, a Fratton faithful forced to stomach such heartbreaking capitulation.

Yet on Saturday, Pompey dared to dream once more.

Dane Scarlett’s decisive first-half strike at Port Vale secured a fourth successive league victory and with it 14 points from a possible 18 during the season’s opening month.

It also catapulted Danny Cowley’s men to the top of League One, establishing themselves as early pacesetters amid strong promotion competition.

Granted, the campaign is in its infancy, still to even venture beyond August. Leagues simply aren’t settled after 30 days and six matches, despite football’s knee-jerk nature.

Nonetheless, the latest addition to BBC Radio Solent’s commentary team observed his former club reaching a notable landmark early in what is developing into an intriguing 2022-23.

Evans is these days between jobs, aged 34 and weighing up League Two offers to prolong playing days or call it quits and pursue alternative challenges.

As he wrestles with life choices, on Saturday he made his co-commentary debut alongside Andy Moon at Vale Park in the absence of holidaying Guy Whittingham.

What unfolded in his presence was a day which yielded top spot for the club he represented 218 times, scored for on 38 occasions and won the League Two title and Checkatrade Trophy with.

It may, of course, prove to be temporary residency at the head of the leaderboard for the Blues, with the future remaining unknown, yet a marker has been laid.

And come the final whistle, the 1,685 travelling support sang of topping the league with 4-4-2, with obvious reference to Joey Barton.

Afterwards, Cowley spoke of being ‘pleased’ with a start to the season which has surely exceeded even his expectations following a late flurry of summer transfer activity.

Two of Saturday’s starters – Tom Lowery and Owen Dale – weren’t even at Fratton Park when the campaign kicked off with a 3-3 draw at Sheffield Wednesday.

Regardless, his team appears to have swiftly gelled, embracing a total of 11 newcomers to rattle up four league wins and position their head coach in the frame for League One’s August Manager of the Month.

The latest win may have lacked the polish of other early-season results, yet it demonstrated a different side to this evolving squad.

Pompey were never at their most fluent at Vale Park, with still several gears to find during victory, but they were solid, competitive and, tellingly, Josh Griffiths was only really called upon during time added on at the end of the game.

The visitors had to overcome the loss of Michael Morrison to suspected concussion after 10 minutes, inflicted by a highly-motivated Ellis Harrison on a mission to prove a point.

Indeed, the ex-Blues striker was a constant handful and later criticised by Pompey’s boss for the ‘reckless’ aerial challenge on Morrison which left the defender with double vision and replaced by Clark Robertson.

Harrison, with two goals in three games following his switch from Fleetwood earlier this month, proved a difficult opponent with his physicality and strength in the air.

Yet even then, he was restricted to just two headers straight at Griffiths during the entire 90 minutes as the Blues’ back line stood firm, marshalled superbly by skipper Sean Raggett.

Pompey may not have been able to truly click as an attacking force, yet their hosts didn’t do anywhere near enough to claim they warranted a point from the encounter.

Cowley had made two changes to the side which claimed a 3-1 win over Bristol Rovers the previous weekend, with Lowery and Scarlett handed starts.

They replaced the injured Louis Thompson, out for four months with a broken leg, while Michael Jacobs dropped to the bench to accommodate Ronan Curtis being switched from attack to the left wing.

As Joey Barton had sneeringly highlighted, it was a 4-4-2, utilising leading scorer Colby Bishop and Scarlett in attack, with Curtis and Dale operating as the wide men.

Meanwhile, there was the welcome return of Joe Morrell to the bench, with a groin injury having frustratingly ruling him out of action since midway through their pre-season.

It was the recalled Scarlett who would settle matters with his maiden senior goal arriving on a 17th first-team appearance for Spurs and Pompey.

On 25 minutes, Marlon Pack’s first-time ball from defence delivered from his own half represented perfection, piercing the Port Vale back line and sending the 18-year-old scurrying clear.

The closer he bore down on goal, there were warning signs Scarlett was about to let the opportunity pass him by, before he slid in on advancing keeper Jack Stephens to divert the ball into the net.

A moment for the England under-19 international to treasure and, Pompey hope, the first of many in a loan spell which has begun brightly.

The Blues were unable to add to Scarlett’s strike, although the introduction of Jacobs from the bench in the 65th minute did provide several late opportunities, including a golden chance for fellow substitute Joe Morrell which he couldn’t get on target.

At the other end, Funso Ojo's hopeful stoppage-time shot from some 30 yards found its way through a ruck of players and brought a save from Griffiths, diving to his right for his only real action of the match.

Late drama which shouldn’t suggest the hosts were worthy of a draw, instead credit to the West Brom loanee for maintaining concentration having been challenged very little during proceedings.

And, for the time being at least, League One’s top spot is occupied by Pompey.

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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