Comment by Simon Lowe

THERE was one shining light from yesterday’s turgid performance – the return of Andy Wilkinson.

Wilko turned in a performance worthy of the man-of-the-match accolade he was awarded just after his winding run and shot had so nearly brought him the goal he richly deserved.

Time after time, he intercepted balls out to the dangerous Kevin-Prince Boateng – Portsmouth’s current man of the moment – and unleashed counter-attacks, bringing Ricardo Fuller and Liam Lawrence into the game with carefully-weighted passes down the touchline.

His positional play was top class, his tackling tigerish and anticipation razor sharp. He was the driving force behind much of what was good in Stoke’s otherwise tepid second half and, along with Lawrence when he came on, gave City forward momentum.

But, not only that, by simply being a proper full-back, Wilkinson gave Stoke a balance which the back four has been missing since Robert Huth became first choice right-back. TP take note.

Wilko is developing in a real gem of a player, typified by that superb piece of play as he hared forward, ball glued to his foot, turning two defenders inside out before leathering a shot inches over Jamie Ashdown’s bar. It was a magical moment, worthy of a Fuller or Lawrence.

And yet, incredibly, Wilko is not sure of his place.

The big question for next week’s trip to Blackburn is will TP revert to type when he has Abdoulaye Faye available again?

I really hope not, but I do fear we might find Robert Huth at right-back at Ewood Park and that would be a total injustice for Wilko.

After patiently waiting in the wings, the youngster seized the opportunity presented to him with both hands.

If ever a player had earned the right to retain his place and give the manager a headache in the process it was Wilko.

It was a performance which lit up an otherwise dismal game. Thankfully, Fuller’s great strike decided the affair as we were just getting to the stage when the mental frailties of the crowd were beginning to show.

There was such a huge expectation on the players to win and perform. At least the three points were secured, but City were off the pace and second best for much of the game.

Thomas Sorensen’s easy early penalty save should have ignited a lamentable Stoke showing early on, but it didn’t happen.

Portsmouth, not looking like a side glued to the bottom of the table, ran the game, bwith O’Hara the fulcrum of their neat passing.

But they didn’t take their chances and gradually ran out of steam as Stoke battled against themselves to get a foothold in the match.

So it was a three points that kept the crowd off TP’s back for another fortnight after the ridiculous wailing and gnashing of teeth among large phalanxes of supporters which met the defeat at Hull, but it was by no means impressive.

The only saving grace was that City actually kept Pompey at arms’ length, relieving us of the usual Alamo, heart-in-mouth last 10 minutes which one-goal leads normally induce. That at least was comforting.

They do say good sides win when they are not playing well. It doesn’t necessarily follow though that City are anywhere near the finished article just because of one fortunate result. There’s a lot of ’ard work ahead yet.