Source: Team_Talk
Sky Blues earn cup replay at Pompey
The Sky Blues went ahead against the run of play after half an hour thanks to a brilliant 20-yard effort from David Bell.[LNB]Kevin-Prince Boateng nodded a leveller for the Premier League side in first-half stoppage time, but the troubled 2008 FA Cup winners never looked like finishing off Chris Coleman's resilient side.[LNB]Portsmouth went into the clash without influential midfielder Jamie O'Hara, who returned to parent club Tottenham after his loan deal expired.[LNB]Asmir Begovic continued to cover for injured goalkeeper David James, who is still struggling with a calf problem, while Nadir Belhadj, Kanu, Hassan Yebda and Aruna Dindane were all on African Nations Cup duty.[LNB]But at a barely half-full Fratton Park Portsmouth were by far the brightest of the two sides in the opening stages.[LNB]Tommy Smith tested Sky Blues goalkeeper Keiren Westwood after just three minutes when he latched on to Younes Kaboul's long ball.[LNB]His effort from the edge of the box was well parried away and Westwood halted Boateng's attempt to cash in on the rebound.[LNB]With the visitors firmly penned in their own half, Frederic Piquionne raced down the right after 10 minutes but his cross just evaded the onrushing Boateng.[LNB]The former Tottenham man was leading the Sky Blues back line a merry dance on the edge of their box after 29 minutes, before feeding Piquionne who shot wildly across the face of goal.[LNB]With Pompey failing to find a breakthrough and the away supporters asking the Premier League stars 'where have your wages gone?', their season took another turn for the worse as Bell unleashed a precision right-foot shot low into Begovic's bottom corner.[LNB]Westwood needed to be at his best to prevent Piquionne equalising three minutes later. Smith latched on to a brilliant flick from Richard Hughes before setting up the Martinique striker, whose effort was nicely turned away.[LNB]It was Richard Hughes' brilliance which got Pompey back into the game in first-half stoppage time, when he crossed from the left of the box for Boateng to nod home with ease.[LNB]Coventry suffered a massive blow at the break when goalkeeper Westwood was forced to come off. The 25-year-old enjoyed an impressive first half but was crouched on the pitch with his head under a towel prior to kick-off.[LNB]He gave way to Dimitrios Konstantopoulos and Portsmouth's Hermann Hreidarsson wasted no time in testing him with a fearsome 25-yard effort after 48 minutes. It was straight at the Greek, though, and he caught it comfortably.[LNB]Coventry's best chance at the start of the second half fell to Clinton Morrison after superb work from James McPake after 55 minutes.[LNB]The Sky Blues number six charged from the centre of midfield but striker Morrison got the ball caught under his feet and scuffed his effort over.[LNB]But Portsmouth raised their game and Konstantopoulos was forced into a save when Boateng chased down Michael Brown's ball over the visitors' rearguard and shot from the left corner of the six-yard box.[LNB]Boateng's presence on the left side of the Coventry penalty area was clearly causing Coleman's side problems.[LNB]The Ghana international was picked out by a superb sweeping ball from Kaboul after 81 minutes. Despite controlling the pass beautifully, Konstantopoulos kept his curling effort out with a brilliant save at full stretch.[LNB]Pompey continued to edge the contest but the Sky Blues' back-up goalkeeper ensured his side a replay with excellent late stops from John Utaka and Smith efforts.[LNB][LNB]
