Sports Mail nostalgia – the day Portsmouth beat second tier high-fliers Cambridge United in front of just 7,801!

In the build-up to every Pompey first team fixture in 2022/23, Roger Holmes will be looking back at a corresponding match by featuring an archive Sports Mail front cover and an inside page here at portsmouth.co.uk

Roger almost certainly boasts the largest collection of Sports Mails among Pompey fans - he has over 3,000 of them.

He wrote a weekly nostalgia page in the Sports Mail for most of the 21st century, right up until the end of last season.

With the Blues hosting Cambridge United in League One on Tuesday, Roger looks back to a comfortable victory over 30 years ago.

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Pompey produced their best performance of an albeit infant season to hammer high-riding Cambridge United in front of 7,801 at Fratton Park on September 21, 1991.

The Blues played some sharp, imaginative football in the Division 2 fixture with Shaun Murray always prominent in midfield. They went in front on 12 minutes as Alan Knight heaved a long clearance upfield, Colin Clarke touched it on and Steve Wigley controlled the ball before angling it home.

Wigley pulled the ball back for Chris Burns to flick home at the far post in the 25th minute and Pompey’s third came seven minutes after the break when Alan Kimble powered a Martin Kuhl cross into his own net.

Pompey: Alan Knight, Andy Awford, Lee Russell, Chris Burns, Kit Symons, Guy Butters, Warren Neill, Martin Kuhl, Colin Clarke (Darryl Powell), Steve Wigley, Shaun Murray.

Pompey finished the season ninth, with Cambridge qualifying for the play-offs in fifth place - the highest position in the club’s history. Hopes of an unprecedented third successive promotion were shattered by Leicester in the play-off semi-final.

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Manchester United remained four points clear at the top of the First Division after thrashing Luton Town 5-0 at Old Trafford.

Second-placed Leeds United, the eventual champions, beat Liverpool 1-0 at Elland Road and Gary Lineker scored a hat-trick in Tottenham’s 5-3 win at Wimbledon.

Sheffield Wednesday condemned Southampton to their sixth defeat in ten matches, winning 2-0 at Hillsborough.

Middlesbrough led the Second Division by five points after they drew 1-1 away to Plymouth Argyle. Brighton lost 3-1 away to Derby County.

West Bromwich Albion won 2-1 at Chester to go top of the third tier, replacing Birmingham City who lost 1-0 at Hartlepool.

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Four local sides were involved in the FA Trophy first qualifying round ties. A hat-trick by Calvin Hore gave Waterlooville a 3-2 victory at home to Crawley, while Gosport Borough hammered Croydon 4-1 at Privett Park.

Fareham Town lost 2-1 to Yeading at Beconsfield Road and Bognor went down by the same scoreline at Dorking.

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Former Pompey midfielder Kenny Black gave Airdrie a shock 17th minute lead against Celtic but his side ended up on the wrong end of a 3-1 scoreline.

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Southampton director John Corbett stepped down after 55 years service at The Dell. The 85-year-old was appointed club president. He announced his decision at the club’s annual meeting at which it was reported the club made a profit of £197,357 on the last financial year.

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In rugby, Havant bowed out of the Pilkington Cup, beaten 19-10 by National Division 3 side Askeans.

England wound up their World Cup preparations with a 35-0 victory over England Students at Cambridge. England would go on to reach the final for the first time, losing to France.