Source: Daily_Mail
Portsmouth 0 Everton 1: Saha fires winner to pile further pressure on Hart
It is not often that the extension of an awful losing run brings hope and optimism, but that was the case at Fratton Park. [LNB]Louis Saha scored his seventh goal of the season just before half-time to separate the teams and inflict on Portsmouth their seventh successive defeat. [LNB]Paul Hart's team have now started the campaign worse than anyone else in this country for 79 years but they were unfortunate not to register their first points.[LNB] [LNB] On fire: Saha hails his fifth league goal of the campaign[LNB] [LNB] If they had taken one of their four excellent opportunities - or defended adequately when John Heitinga lobbed a long ball in for Saha to score from - it could have been a very different story. [LNB]Manager Hart said: 'We had enough chances and played tremendously well. If we retain that spirit and play like that it is inevitable we will turn this around.' [LNB]Aruna Dindane should have put Portsmouth ahead when he raced through in the 34th minute but the livewire striker was denied by Tim Howard. [LNB] [LNB] Punch drunk: David James clears an Everton attack[LNB][LNB] [LNB]Pressure: Paul Hart saw his Portsmouth side lose again[LNB]Tal Ben-Haim then had the chance to equalise but Everton's goalkeeper produced a smart save with his shoulder. Aaron Mokoena also headed the ball against the bar and substitute Hassan Yebda had a shot cleared off the line by Leighton Baines in a frantic second half. [LNB]Everton, inevitably, had chances too, with Marouane Fellaini and Tim Cahill both going close. But David Moyes' team were strangely subdued and failed to take control of the game or take advantage of a side who have struggled for confidence and fluency. [LNB]The one time they did, David James was slow to come off his line and Saha was allowed to evade the attention of two defenders to score. Hart said: 'The ball travelled 40 yards and should have been dealt with.' [LNB]Better signs were to follow for the manager with chief executive Peter Storrie committing his future to the club and giving his backing to the embattled boss after the game. [LNB]And Everton counterpart Moyes insisted the confidence Portsmouth have in Hart is well deserved. He said: 'Hart is doing a great job. He has a squad which has been put together in the last month and had a lot of players taken away from him.[LNB] 'You saw the attitude of his players as they gave him everything right to the last minute.'[LNB] Portsmouth v Everton: The action as it happenedSaha: From sicknote to superstriker - how Everton are getting the best of him£50m bait for Peter Storrie to stay put at Portsmouth after walk out fearsIt's heartbreaking for me to see the mess they've made of Portsmouth, says Everton's Sylvain DistinPORTSMOUTH FC
