LEE BRADBURY would never have realised a month ago that he would be a £300,000 demonstration model of the differences between Pompey and Crystal Palace.

Just four weeks ago the striker was an integral part of the Palace team that thumped Pompey 4-0.

But such is the desperate straits of the Palace paupers that they almost fear winning, knowing that victory will attract attention they can't beat off.

So it was with Bradbury, and although you wouldn't put it in such black-and-white terms that he was the difference as Pompey exacted revenge for the Palace mauling, it's an exercise in speculation as to what the story might have been had Bradbury still been wearing Palace colours.

Pompey finished deserved winners although they gave their supporters a few nervous moments.

In the harsh, dog-eat-dog jungle of professional football, Pal-ace get sympathy from Pompey, who were in their position a year ago.

Stick a ginger wig on Steve Coppell and raise his voice a couple of octaves and his press conference might have been one of Alan Ball's 12 months back.

Palace have spirit aplenty but as Pompey discovered at times last year, that is not enough.

Palace must have been embarrassed when they took the lead on 22 minutes, their goal having led a charmed life thanks to Fraser Digby's wizardry as Pompey overwhelmed them.

Andy Linighan rose to nod in Palace's first corner and with Terry Phelan drawing a brilliant save from Andy Petterson and Dean Austin planting a free header over the top from Palace's other two flag kicks, you could see why Pompey manager Ball wants a central defender to be boss at dead-balls.

As the rain pelted down and the Blue tide swept forward, Palace's defending always had an air of small Dutch boys with their fingers in dykes and old warhorse Steve Claridge sprung the leak to pull Pompey level, stabbing home from close range after Digby had performed miracles to keep Bradbury's header out.

It was pencilled in that Bradbury would score against his old club. The otherwise immaculate Linighan made his sole mistake of the game, Bradbury was on to it and despite being driven wide, his left-foot packed enough power despite another brave effort from Digby.

Claridge's package of tight skills and awareness proved a good foil for Bradbury, who himself has given Pompey the physical presence they lacked.

In contrast, poor one-time Pompey ace Mat Svensson at the other end looked like a dog pining for his master. He could only look on in envy at his teammate of a month ago.

Alan McLoughlin's alert brain set Claridge up for Pompey's third, Digby again kept the score down, and right at the finish Svensson planted a header wide from four yards and David Woozley just failed to get a touch to Austin's header back across goal.

It would have been an injustice if Palace had got something out of it. But that's something they know plenty about at the moment.

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