Portsmouth Season Review 2013/2014: January

New recruits but a familiar story.

There wasn't much time to dwell on 2013 as New Year's Day saw Pompey fans travel to a wet and windy Southend-on-Sea to take on Phil Brown's team.

Richie Barker's men took the lead after dominating the first half thanks to a Sonny Bradley strike and there were enough chances created to have the game won by the break. Instead, Southend equalised with Ryan Leonard's speculatives hot taking a huge deflection to beat Trevor Carson.

Pompey continued to play well in the second half with Jed Wallace hitting the crossbar yet again but to the visitors' dismay Leonard won it in stoppage time with an unstoppable strike from range to inflict a cruel defeat on the away side.

Highlights: Southend United 2 Portsmouth 1

The performance gave Portsmouth supporters hope for the future but with the home game with Accrington Stanley called off due to a waterlogged pitch, Richie Barker went about strengthening his squad.

Daniel Alfei was loaned from Swansea and Nicky Shorey was picked up as a free agent having been released by Bristol City along with striker Ryan Taylor. Jake Jervis finally signed after a long wrangle with old side Elazigspor and John Sullivan was allowed to join Cambridge United on loan, with Ryan Bird joining him later in the month.

The new additions, Jervis excepted, would all be included in the side that travelled to Oxford for one of the most boring football matches you will ever have seen. Still, it was another clean sheet for Barker's side which showed more steel than his predecessor's.

Highlights: Oxford United 0 Portsmouth 0

Marcos Painter signed a new contract keeping him at Pompey for another month and the much anticipated signing of Wes Fogden was finally completed in time for the home match with Mansfield Town.

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Portsmouth Season Review 2013/2014: January