HE is the man who painfully tormented Saints as they crashed to a humiliating 4-1 defeat in their last visit to Fratton Park.
And Blackpool striker Lomana Lualua has challenged Pompey’s current crop of players to produce a repeat performance of that dramatic April 2005 afternoon in this Sunday’s south coast derby.
Back then, Lualua scored twice and earned a penalty, as Alain Perrin’s Portsmouth side blitzed Harry Redknapp’s Saints team – pushing them to the brink of Premier League relegation.
All the goals that day arrived in the first 27 minutes, leaving the visitors shellshocked and the hosts euphoric.
But now, with Saints flying high at the top of the Championship and Pompey struggling by comparison in 16th, few people would expect the home side to have any chance of winning in a landslide.
But Lualua – who played for Blackpool in their 2-2 draw at Saints last Saturday – is still clutching to his memories of six-and-a-half years ago in hope.
“It was amazing,”
he said, recalling the 2005 encounter.
“What a day. Just a perfect day.
“It was great for us winning the game to set the record straight, which team was the best team in the area.
“The atmosphere was amazing and the players were really hyped up.”
The striker also stressed just how important the fixture is to the fans of both clubs.
“For me, living in the city and having been at the club so long, I knew how much it meant to the supporters,” he said.
“I just wanted to play my part in making history and winning that game.
“To be part of that history is very, very special.
“The players have the chance to do that on Sunday and they should not waste it.
“It is so precious. I am so grateful I managed to be a success in a such a special match.
“It is in the top three games in my career and I would say was my best game for Portsmouth.
“I lived in Port Solent and I knew the area.
“I was always around Southsea and I knew how much that game meant to the supporters.
“After that match everyone in the dressing room was buzzing and the city was buzzing.
“What a game. I loved it and the fans loved it. I wish I was playing in this game. This is what you look forward to.
“The players out there need to make the most of it, they can achieve something special which will never be forgotten by the Portsmouth fans.”.
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