Former Portsmouth boss Michael Appleton has claimed he didn't realise how big a rivalry the south-coast derby was until his first involvement in the fixture back in 2011.

Pompey and Southampton are set to renew acquaintances in the Carabao Cup third round tonight, in what is the first meeting between the sides since a 2-2 draw at St Mary's Stadium in the 2011/12 campaign.

The two clubs have not found themselves in the same division since this season, with Portsmouth currently sitting 20th in League One while Southampton are 13th in the Premier League.

Appleton was the Pompey boss for the last meeting between the teams, and has been speaking about one of the key moments of the match which saw David Norris score a last-minute equaliser for the Fratton Park outfit.

"With it being on David’s left foot you just wouldn’t expect him to produce that," he told the Guardian.

"I remember having a little bit of a Mourinho moment, running down the touchline screaming, shouting and punching the air because I had been getting stick for 90-odd minutes from the Southampton fans to the right of me. I had to give a little back. It was a fantastic moment."

The current Lincoln City boss also emphasised the ferocity of the rivalry between the two sides, and he claimed he didn't expect such a fiery atmosphere ahead of his first involvement in the match back in 2011.

"In the first game, it felt like football was almost the sideshow. I didn’t realise how big a rivalry it was," he added.

"I’d been to watch Old Firm games, Manchester derbies, Merseyside derbies and was involved in Midlands derbies, West Brom v Wolves, but I found out about it in a big way, five games into my reign."

The Verdict

Appleton's comments only serve to heighten the anticipation ahead of tonight's meeting between the sides, while Pompey fans will surely enjoy hearing Appleton's memories of Norris' famous strike.

There is clearly an intense rivalry between Portsmouth and Southampton and this could well serve up a classic match at Fratton Park tonight, with Portsmouth desperate to turn over their bitter rivals.

Southampton are of course favourites given their Premier League status, but the fact this is a local derby means any reputation is set to go out the window and Portsmouth have every chance of causing an upset.

The fact these two sides have not met in so long means it is easy to forget how serious their rivalry is, but it seems inevitable that we will be reminded of this tonight.