Source: Telegraph
Aston Villa 2 Portsmouth 0: match report
The church next to Villa Park was holding a 'Healing Day’, offering spiritual healing to fans and others on their way to the game.
Whether Paul Hart, Portsmouth’s dignified but defeated manager, was tempted to pay a visit was a matter only for speculation, but the way things are going he will need some sort of divine intervention or inspiration to save his side.
Most eyes were on his opposite number, Martin O’Neill, after the training ground spat with Nigel Reo-Coker on Thursday that led to the midfielder’s exclusion from the squad and a rift that may also require healing.
Hart is under scrutiny, too, as Portsmouth extended their dreadful season’s beginning to a run of six successive defeats, the worst start in Premier League history and the worst in the top flight since Leicester City in 1983.
Back then, Leicester had a young Gary Lineker, who scored 23 goals to help stave off relegation. But it is hard to see Pompey scoring enough goals or keeping enough clean sheets to prevent another struggle similar to the one that saw them save themselves in the final fortnight of last season.
Hart tried his best to put on a brave face, attempting to draw positives from Portsmouth’s purple patch midway through the second half, when they wrested the initiative from Villa and peppered Brad Friedel’s goal with a number of strong efforts.
The visitors did enough to claim a share of the honours in the second half, but the damage was done before half-time, when schoolboy errors put an unassailable lead on a plate for Villa.
O’Neill’s men are also back in familiar territory - albeit at the other end off the table - after recovering from their opening day defeat by Wigan to record five straight wins, four of them in the league.
"We have a momentum about us and it was important to continue that, especially for the fans," O’Neill said.
"I was delighted to go in 2-0 ahead at half-time, but we started the second half on the back foot. They got more possession and Brad made a great save that was a big moment, because it could have got very uncomfortable for us."
As it was, David James had to be at his sharpest to prevent a spectacular own-goal from the head of Younes Kaboul in the 10th minute, and it was only a matter of time before Villa scored.
The breakthrough arrived via the penalty spot after 33 minutes. Stilyan Petrov was tripped by Nadir Belhadj as he ran through and referee Stuart Atwell pointed to the spot. James Milner stepped up to thump the ball comprehensively past James into the back of the net.
Within 10 minutes it was 2-0, with more poor defending allowing Gabriel Agbonlahor through to score his third goal in three games.
Every young defender is taught to stay between their opponent and the goal at all times, but that must have been off the curriculum in Tal Ben Haim’s education, and he made the schoolboy error of going for the ball but failing to get it when it was knocked on.
Agbonlahor rolled him all too easily to give himself a clear sight of goal, and without hesitation he hammered a shot from 20 yards that flew past James in off the inside of the far post. "Simply sensational," O’Neill said. "Gabby’s playing brilliantly for us at the moment. "
The second half, and presumably a few home truths from Hart, brought a more positive response from Pompey, and they went forward with purpose.
Three of Villa’s defenders - Richard Dunne, James Collins and Stephen Warnock - were making their home debuts, and it was only after the break that they were really tested. But it was Friedel who kept the opposition at bay, making good saves in quick succession from Frédéric Piquionne, Jamie O’Hara, Younes Kaboul and Belhadj.
"I thought we were much better in the second half, and dominated the game to some extent," Hart said. "But we made schoolboy errors to give away two goals and gave ourselves a mountain to climb."
He still has hope of another great escape, though. "It’s a difficult job but I have great belief in these players and think we can turn it around."
O’Neill, meanwhile, is looking forward to building on his side’s good start, once he has dealt with Reo-Coker tomorrow and denied the spat had affected his side.
"Perhaps we were a little tired, but the 'kerfuffle’ from this week had nothing to do with it," he said. "I will review it on Monday."
Perhaps that rift will be healed, but Hart will be looking for some divine inspiration if he is to save his club’s soul.
