Source: Daily_Mail
Portsmouth 0 Blackburn 0: Borre out of Cup semi-final as 10-man Pompey earn stay of execution
Relegation may have been postponed for at least 24 hours, until West Ham's fate is determined at Everton this afternoon, but Portsmouth's fans made it clear where their priorities lie. 'Wembley, Wembley,' they chanted.[LNB]Manager Avram Grant sympathised with the sentiment, as the countdown to the FA Cup semi-final against Tottenham next weekend began in earnest.[LNB] Close contact: Portsmouth's Aaron Mokoena and Blackburn Rovers's Martin Olsson (right) battle for the ball[LNB]'It doesn't matter if we are relegated tomorrow, or next week,' he said. 'The date is only symbolic; the decision was taken a long time ago when they took nine points from us after the club was put into administration.[LNB]'A semi-final is a celebration, an event. How many times in the last 100 years have Portsmouth been in an FA Cup semi-final?'[LNB]Grant cobbled together a team from the few who were not injured andthen he watched his side play the final half-hour with 10 men afterAnthony Vanden Borre was sent off when a handball offence resulted inhis second caution.[LNB] Double blow: Portsmouth's Anthony Vanden Borre (centre) ruled out for Cup semi-final after being sent off by referee Steve Bennett (right)[LNB]Grant, a man with the demeanour of funeral director, said: 'We needreferees to show common sense. The ball hit him high up his arm.'[LNB]The player will miss the next game and Grant added: 'We might haveone, two or three injured players who could play next week, but Icannot say which as none of them have trained yet. [LNB]'We're going from one fight to another, but I'm very proud of theplayers. When the problems have come, we have simply shown morestrength. It would have been easy to come into this game with headsdown, but the players didn't do this.'[LNB] Air raid: Portsmouth's Jamie O'Hara (left) goes close with a header[LNB]Yet sentiment will be in short supply at Wembley from HarryRedknapp, who fashioned the fairy-tale that brought the FA Cup toFratton Park two years ago.[LNB]As the Tottenham boss, he is determined to ensure Pompey's season ends without a semblance of cheer.[LNB]A rainstorm yesterday seemed to heighten the gloom under which theclub are spending their dying hours in the Premier League but Blackburnboss Sam Allardyce was equally gloomy after his side were held. DavidDunn and Christopher Samba came closest to scoring but they were deniedby the woodwork.[LNB]'Throwing away those two extra points today is a real disappointment,' said Allardyce.[LNB]In contrast, Pompey fans stayed behind to salute a makeshift teamthat laboured without complaint to keep a clean sheet for the firsttime since six days before Christmas.[LNB] THE FIRING LINE: The clock is ticking for Hammers boss Gianfranco ZolaAndy Townsend's Boot Room: Fab skippers can change your luck[LNB] [LNB]
