John Utaka wastes the chance to make it three and grab himself a goal as Kanu sends him through but he fails to find the necessary finish.

Time is closing now and the comeback appears to be almost definitely off as we enter injury time - of which there are four minutes.

Portsmouth are taking the ball into the corners to try and waste the remaining minutes - much to the delight of the home crowd.

Villa are throwing even more at Pompey now and Mellberg finds himself in the area to bring it down well but shows his defensive tendencies by slicing it well wide.

Ashley Young's set pieces have been superb again today and he manages to do so again but yet again David James is in top form to deny his former side.

Villa finally get the ball in the net as Harewood taps home but the whistle had already gone and yet again the visitors are foiled.

Baros rolls the ball across the penalty area for Kranjcar to surely tap home and make the points safe but he has managed to miss the target.

Mellberg is roaring up the right hand side in support of Agbonlahor but the striker come winger goes alone but Lauren gets himself in the way to block.

How Aston Villa haven't managed to find the back of the net must be beyond their fans because they have had so many chances today but they don't look like getting anything for their efforts.

Barry delivers the free-kick into the centre of the penalty area and Carew is there to head down but it is off the line by Diarra.

Pompey look a little more comfortable actually in this half and are playing better now than they did at any stage in that first half.

Young bends a cross in that Carew brings down and he waits for Harewood before laying it off for the substitute who snatches at it a little and only finds the side netting.

Now the Croatian almost puts the finishing touches to a superb move from the hosts as he bends a left footed effort just round the post from 25 yards.

Pompey are nowhere near their best today but they are still looking solid and Kranjcar gives the crowd something to shout about with a delightful behind the foot flick to Muntari.

The second half has started very similarly to the first with the visitors enjoying the better of it but still they cannot find the net.

Gareth Barry feeds it wide for Maloney whjo squares it in front of the net but from just three yards out Agbonlahor has managed to screw it wide and his mini-drought goes on - that should really have been 2-1.

An early effort from Pompey in this half as Papa Bouba Diop shows why he is yet to score this season as he slices a shot towards the corner flag.

Right on the stroke of the break Ashley Young cuts in and forces a truly world class stop from James as the England keeper tips it wide for a corner.

Villa look a little shocked to be behind and rightly so but as play winds down towards the break Martin O'Neill will have to be planning a rip-roaring team talk to get his side back in the game.

Pompey break after clearing a Maloney free-kick but Baros wastes a glorious chance to make it three for the home side and lets Villa off the hook.

Somehow Portsmouth look like going in two up despite being played off the park by Villa in the first half.

Ashley Young running trickily at Hermann Hreidarsson now feeds Carew who has Maloney for support as he beats Johnson but he slices a great chance wide. A waste from the Norwegian.

Good build up play from Villa as Barry beats two and feeds the dangerous Agbonlahor who now tries to find the head of Carew but Distin is there to flick it just away from the big man's head.

Sylvain Distin was superb in the Cup game at Old Trafford and he does well against Agbonlahor here as he manages to supress the striker's pace to win an interesting confrontation wide on the right hand side.

Pompey have been on the backfoot but they have dangerous players on the break and Kranjcar is one such player and he cuts in from the left to unleash a shot that is deflected for a corner by Mellberg.

Despite Villa being so dominant, Ashley Young has been relatively quiet so far but he does now whip another quality cross into the box and Carew forces another save from James.

As it stands Pompey are set to leapfrog Villa in the league but it is still very early and Villa remain the most likely to score next.

End to end stuff now as Baros runs clear of the Villa backline but this time Carson is well positioned to deny the former VIlla striker.

Ashley Young puts in a typically devilish ball from a free-kick that James does well to tip just over the bar under pressure from two attackers.

The pace of Agbonlahor has been problematic for the Pompey defence and he gives them more trouble here by getting to the bylone but James clutches it off the head of Carew.

That goal was a real sucker-punch to to Villa who have been the better side so far but Pompey will not be complaining.

Jermian Defoe has now scored in every home game he has played for Pompey since his January move and HArry Redknapp appears to have got a bargain. Defoe for England anyone?

Sulley Muntari gets the first shot of the game for the South coast side as he tries to fire a free-kick goalwards but its too low and is cleared by the boot of Knight.

The fans are singing 'We're going to Wembley' but their team are playing like they already have their eye on it at the moment because Pompey are struggling to get going.

Pompey are very lacklustre as Agbonlahor sneaks in behind the back four and is only denied by another superb stop from James - hee has been in red hot form lately and appears to be so again today.

Maloney now gets away the first shot of the game too as he forces a decent early save from James - a bright start from Villa.

Villa forces the first relative threat as Bouma and Maloney combine and the latter almost bends one into the path of Carew but Distin defends well to clear.