Source: Telegraph
Portsmouth 1 Manchester United 4: match report
Avram Grant began and ended his Chelsea managerial career with defeats against Manchester United and, on his return to English football at Portsmouth this afternoon, little had changed. [LNB]Just as in Moscow in the Champions League final of 2008 when Grant and Sir Alex Ferguson last went head-to-head, the penalty spot contributed heavily to the outcome, with Wayne Rooney putting Manchester United ahead following an infringement by Michael Brown. [LNB] Related ArticlesPremier League actionPremier League tablePremier League fixturesSport on televisionKevin-Prince Boateng then equalised for Portsmouth after a disputed decision from referee Mike Dean before United asserted themselves, clinching a 4-1 victory with two more second-half goals for Rooney, including another penalty, and a wonderful Ryan Giggs free-kick. Rooney's hat-trick takes his individual tally in the Premier League this season to 10. [LNB]The win also moves United to within two points of Chelsea at the top of the Premier League table while Portsmouth's position, even with the appointment of Grant, looks ever more desperate. They have now picked up just seven points from 14 games. [LNB]Ben Foster's status as Manchester United's third-choice goalkeeper was also underlined as Tomas Kuszczak was selected in place of the injured Edwin van der Sar. The Pole was quickly called into action as Portsmouth began brightly, denying Aruna Dindane before an excellent acrobatic save to deny Jamie O'Hara. [LNB]Manchester United were also making chances, with Paul Scholes particularly lively and twice driving powerful shots from the edge of the penalty just wide of Asmir Begovic's post. [LNB]The first-half, however, hinged on the two penalty decisions from Dean. First Portsmouth were sliced open following a slick exchange of passes between Antonia Valencia and Rooney, with Michael Brown mistiming his tackle on the England striker. Rooney quickly got to his feet and duly punished [LNB]Portsmouth by shooting beyond Begovic. United, though, only retained the lead for seven minutes after a somewhat baffling decision from Dean. [LNB]A free-kick had been floated into the penalty area by O'Hara and, as Kuszczak punched clear following some jostling in the penalty area, Dean surprised everyone, including many of the Portsmouth players, by awarding a foul. [LNB]After numerous replays, the most convincing explanation was that he had seen Nemanja Vidic place a hand on the shirt of Frederic Piquionne. Portsmouth accepted the lifeline, with Kevin-Prince [LNB]Boateng shooting beyond Kuszczak. Sir Alex Ferguson, who was watching from the directors' box as he began his two-game touchline ban for criticising referee Alan Wiley, was unlikely to have been impressed, although his team moved through the gears in a one-sided second-half. [LNB]The outstanding Giggs cut open the Portsmouth for Rooney to side-foot past Begovic and then provoked the third penalty of the afternoon following a rash challenge from Piquionne. [LNB]Rooney, once again, was deadly from the penalty spot before Giggs sealed victory with a precise curling free-kick. It was Giggs' 100th Premier League goal. The pressure now switches to Chelsea and Arsenal ahead of tomorrow's London derby. [LNB]
