Report by Ben Davis

All the hype before the game was the battle between the goal scoring talents of Pompey's John Aloisi and West Brom's Lee Hughes. However, 17 year-old Luke Nightingale, who only signed professionally on Thursday, stole the show with two goals to get Pompey back to winning ways. He was only on the bench as a precaution and only came on when Aloisi went off injured, but within 45 seconds he equalised and within 20 minutes had scored again.
Fitzroy Simpson's idiotic sending off at Crystal Palace meant he started a three match ban. That paved the way for a return to first team action for Matt Robinson who played every game under Ball at the end of last season. Due to the amount of injuries and that suspension Ball was left with just 14 fit professionals to choose from, so he put Luke Nightingale on the bench, a youth team striker who was impressing everyone with good performances for the reserves. The game was also played for the first time with the new bright yellow football called fluroflare.
Some fans had hardly taken their seats when West Brom scored the quickest goal of the day in England after 48 seconds. A long throw in by Flynn was completely ignored by the Pompey defence allowing Hughes to stabb home from eight yards. He raced away in celebration as the Pompey fans went silent with shock.
Pompey responded with a couple of corners, but new goalkeeper Andy Petterson continued his good form when he saved his new team-mates from going further behind. Hughes showed his pace by shrugging off Waterman and setting free Kilbane whose shot was excellently saved by Petterson using his legs.
The pace of Hughes was certainly worrying young Waterman and the visitors looked threatening every time they went on the attack. Yet the scores could have been level in the 9th minute. Player of the month, Alan McLoughlin played a brilliant 50-yard pass to Claridge who beat two defenders before shooting agonisingly inches wide.
De Freitas struck the side netting before Aloisi wriggled free at the other end and fired a shot just wide. Increasingly Pompey got going with Igoe typically buzzing around and it was the little midfielder who forced Miller in a fine save from a 20-yard shot. Waterman then got booked for a crunching challenge on Hughes which left the West Brom hit man on the deck for a few minutes.
The next effort a goal came from a rare source, Robinson, but it almost levelled things up. Igoe did well to jink his way down the right before putting in a fine cross which Robinson met with a fierce first time volley which scrapped the post. Aloisi need treatment minutes later and despite carrying on he was eventually substituted with Nightingale coming on for an unexpected debut.
His first touch was a good one and his second ended up with the ball in the net. Perrett's long ball forward was headed cleverly back across goal by Claridge and Nightingale was there at the far post to score. Had Thorgersen's header been on target Pompey may gone into the break with a deserved lead, but it went over and so the scores were all square.
Kilbane and Quinn were both denied by Petterson in the early stages whilst Robinson, getting forward at every opportunity, blasted a shot high into the visiting supporters. Yet the fairytale script was to continue as in the 55th minute Pompey took the lead and yes it was Nightingale again. Peron burst forward over the half-way line before finding Nightingale in oceans of space and the youngster coolly slide the ball past Miller.
The game could have been over a minute later when Nightingale's flick put Claridge in the clear and despite rounding Miller he couldn't find the net from a tight angle.
Petterson came to the rescue again when he did well to smother a Hughes shot after Quinn's clever pass. West Brom were now putting Pompey under more pressure hoping to make Claridge pay for that earlier miss. Pompey's defence showed their strength of character with a fine battling with display with Waterman now getting to grips with Hughes and Awford moping up anything loose.
The two wing-backs Robinson and Thorgersen continued to charged up and down the field which must have impressed Ball, but not Simpson who now knows he's got a challenge for the left wing-back role. Robinson's neat ball to Claridge ended with the striker winner a corner. That was punched by Miller as far as Igoe whose first time volley flew a couple of yards over the bar.
The play reverted to the other end where the cross bar kept Pompey's lead at bay. Angel's cross from the right was met by De Freitas whose header bounced back off the frame of the goal. That was West Brom's last serious effort on goal and Pompey could have made the game totally safe when Claridge continued running and running but his low shot was excellently saved by Miller.
The joy of the win was clear on the pitch and off it. Hughes's early strike looked as though it was going to be his day, fortunately for Pompey Nightingale took the honours.