Sports Mail nostalgia – the day Portsmouth keeper Yoshi Kawaguchi conceded inside 30 seconds on his debut, but Blues still triumphed at Hillsborough

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 travelling to Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday for their first game of the new League One season, Roger starts his new online series of articles with a look back to November 2001 - when Pompey won a Championship fixture 3-2 at Hillsborough.

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Japanese international goalkeeper Yoshi Kawaguchi conceded an early goal on his Pompey debut against Sheffield Wednesday in front of 18,212 at Hillsborough, but his side fought back to claim all three points.

The record £1.8m signing was beaten by Simon Donnelly’s shot after just 26 seconds but Peter Crouch rammed home an equaliser in the sixth minute and the striker’s first-time effort put Pompey ahead six minutes before half time.

Neil Barrett scored Pompey’s third goal on 59 minutes before Wednesday’s Gerald Sibon converted a 67th minute penalty after Linvoy Primus had fouled Pablo Bonvin.

Sheffield Wednesday: Kevin Pressman, Leigh Bromby, Trond Egil Solvedt, Alan Quinn, Gerald Sibon, Owen Morrison, Aaron Lescott (Pablo Bonvin), Simon Donnelly, Ashley Westwood, Derek Geary, Danny Maddix (Tony Crane).

Pompey: Yoshi Kawaguchi, Scott Hiley, Linvoy Primus, Justin Edinburgh, Kevin Harper, Neil Barrett, Gary O’Neil, Robert Prosinecki, Courtney Pitt, Peter Crouch, Lee Bradbury (Steve Lovell).

Crouch was to end the season as Pompey’s leading league goalscorer with 18 from 37 starts. Prosinecki, with nine, was second highest.

Pompey finished 17th in the table, and the win at Hillsborough was one of just four on their travels that season. The Owls were even lower, finishing just a point above the relegation zone in what was their second season after relegation from the Premiership.

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Aston Villa were beaten 3-0 by Newcastle United at St James’ Park but still remained top of the Premiership, one point clear of Leeds United.

Southampton’s 2-1 defeat at home to Blackburn Rovers left them one place above bottom-of-the-table Derby County, who were thrashed 5-1 at Middlesbrough.

Norwich moved two points behind second tier leaders Wolves after beating them 2-0 at Carrow Road.

Also in Division One, Shaun Goater hit a hat-trick in Manchester City’s 4-1 victory over Gillingham at Maine Road.

Eddie Howe scored the winner in AFC Bournemouth’s 2-1 success at Colchester United in the third tier, while Brighton won 1-0 at Bristol City thanks to a first-half strike by Bobby Zamora.

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Newcastle United chairman Freddy Shepherd threw his weight behind Birmingham’s bid for a new £350m national stadium. He said: ‘As far as Newcastle are concerned, we are backing the Birmingham bid 100 per cent. The Wembley project is dead, it just hasn’t been buried.’

England had played their final game at the old Wembley the previous month, losing a World Cup qualifier to Germany 1-0 - after which Kevin Keegan dramatically quit.

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Fareham Town Director of Football Duncan Pratt hit out at the way English Premier League clubs treat young homegrown talent after 15 year-old Alex Ward joined the club from Chelsea.

Pratt felt that European clubs had a far better approach towards nurturing the young players of the future.

Ward managed to score on his Wessex League debut against Swanage Town & Herston.

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Havant & Waterlooville were knocked out of the FA Trophy when Grays Athletic won 3-2 at Westleigh Park.

Abraham Eze netted a very late winner, his second of the tie, after Gareth Hall had levelled just seconds earlier.

Chris Ferrett had given the Hawks the lead.