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  • Heskey (21)
  • Date:2009-01-27
  • Kick-off:20:00
  • Venue:Fratton Park
  • Attendance:19073
  • Referee:Walton, P

Live Commentary

90mins

Peter Walton brings the game to a close with Villa running out 1-0 winners thanks to Heskey's fine strike as O'Neill's men move into third spot whilst Pompey continue to slide down the table.

90mins

The fourth official indicates that there will be three minutes of added on time.

87mins

Utaka gets one-on-one with Friedel after Knight slip but fails to get the shot away running straight at the American goalkeeper who holds the ball, Pompey fans will wonder why he didn't try a chip the on rushing goalkeeper.

85mins

James Milner gets a yellow card after bringing down Hreidarsson who had just got the run on him.

82mins

Aston Villa make another chance with Emile Heskey going off having done the damage with Nicky Shorey coming on.

79mins

Petrov gets a yellow card after a tired lunge at Pennant who had just skipped away from the midfielder.

77mins

Pennant's corner is headed away by Cuellar without a blue shirt getting anywhere near the cross as Villa try to launch a counter attack but its stopped short by Distin.

76mins

Johnson swings in a lovely cross which drops in the middle of the goal and forces Davies to head the ball over his own crossbar.

74mins

Barry curls in a freekick from out on the left hand side which Davies rises to meet but can onlysend his header just over the crossbar.

73mins

Second change of the game with John Utaka coming on for Nwankwo Kanu.

71mins

Villa launch a quick counter attack down the left and whips in a cross which Heskey turns towards goal, his effort is deflected away and on the follow up Milner's volley is a poor one sending it high and wide.

69mins

Nadir Belhadj should have been sent off in the first half but is now after kicking the ball away after a decision goes against him, childish stuff from the Pompey man.

65mins

Martin O'Neill makes his first change of the evening with Craig Gardner coming off and Steve Sidwell coming on as Villa go to a five man midfield.

64mins

Milner gets a lovely looking cross into the penalty area from the left hand side whch is just over the head of Agbonlahor as Distin heads it away.

62mins

From a third successive corner, this time from Belhadj where Crouch tries to meet it but a fist from Friedel does enough to put the giant striker off who heads it over.

61mins

Belhadj with another corner which he this time lifts to the far post where Friedel has to tip the ball over the bar for another corner or risk it dropping in.

57mins

Couple of good chance for Crouch, firstly from Johnson's low cross Crouch hits his shot at Knight who deflects it out to Pennant, the former Liverpool man putting another low cross back in which this time Crouch steers wide.

56mins

Belhadj picks the ball up ouside the box and has a shot at goal which drifts wide with Friedel watching on as Pompey begin to create a few more chances.

54mins

Villa win a corner after Agbonlahor's attempted cross hits Distin and goes behind, from Milner's corner Distin is there again to head the ball away from danger.

52mins

Second corner from Belhadj follows a similar pattern to his previous efforts, swinging it in towards the near post where Heskey is waiting to head it away.

51mins

Pompey win a corner which Belhadj whips into the near post which would go in if Milner doesn't block the cross at the near post to put it behind for another corner.

50mins

Glen Johnson gets a booking after bringing down Gabriel Agbonlahor who had just got away from him.

48mins

Hreidarsson gets forward and produces a great cross which Kanu turns towards goal and forces a save out of Friedel.

45mins

Bright start by Portsmouth with a couple of dangerous crosses into the box resulting in Pennant trying his luck from a tight angle on the right hand side which Friedel easily saves.

45mins

Tony Adams has made a change at the break with Younes Kaboul coming on for Sol Campbell.

45mins

Portsmouth get the second half underway and need a bit of inspiration if they are going to get back into this one as it has been pretty static so far.

45mins

Half time whistle goes after just one minute of added on time and Heskey has proven the difference after a wonderful finish from Heskey but Pompey should be down to ten men after Belhadj's horror challenge.

45mins

That would have been ironic after a cross from Pennant finds Belhadj whose shot is just over the crossbar from a tight angle on the left.

44mins

Nadir Belhadj becomes the first man to go into the referee's book but he is a lucky ball after a wild swing at Milner, just a hack from Belhadj who should be off.

43mins

Agbonlahor leads a Villa counter attack and tries to whip in a low cross for Heskey who slides in trying to reach it but can't quite grow the extra inches needed to capitalise on the chance.

41mins

Long ball over the top which finds Agbonlahor through on goal but the English forward makes a real mess of the chance, trying to slide it past James but hitting it straight at the Pompey goalkeeper. Should have done a lot better.

40mins

Milner takes a low corner towards the near post which Heskey finds and shoots on the turn but the former Wigan man on the spin slips and puts it wide.

39mins

Milner finds himself in yards of space coming in towards goal on the edge of the box and drives a low shot in which James has to tip behind.

37mins

Pompey win another corner which Belhadji swings in but Heskey is back there doing his defensive duties with a header away at the near post.

35mins

Best chance of the night for Pompey after Pennant's cross to Mullins midway inside the penalty area, the new Pompey signing though blasts it just wide with a sliced effort as the Fratton Park crowd finally come alive.

34mins

Pompey look blunt up front as Pennant tries to work an opening on the edge of the penalty area but Villa deal with it comfortable, Curtis Davies beating his Pompey nameshake to the ball to clear.

31mins

Another cross into the Pompey area is headed away to the edge of the penalty area where Barry is waiting who takes it on the half volley but blazes it over the crossbar.

30mins

Barry gets forward down the right hand side and swings in a deep cross but its over the head of the waiting Gardner and James can claim it for Pompey.

28mins

Pennant swings in a corner after Crouch's deflected shot but puts too much on it and the ball is picked up by Johnson on the far side as Pompey try to recycle the ball but don't manage it.

24mins

Crouch tries to reply for Pompey who look a little flat since going behind but this shot is saved easily by Friedel.

20mins

EMILE HESKEY grabs the opening goal on his debut for Aston Villa after a long ball over the top is flicked on by Agbonlahor on the edge of the penalty area for Heskey to run onto a hammer home with his right foot.

19mins

From Pennant's corner Heskey heads it away but only as far as Davies who has a pop from outside the box but the skidding shot goes straight through for Friedel.

18mins

Finally a half chance fo Portsmouth after Pennant's shot at goal takes a deflection off a Villa player and sends it behind for a corner.

12mins

Very little happening in terms of chances with neither side giving an inch in the final third of the field and Villa have had to change their shape to accommodate Heskey, doesn't seem to be working so far.

8mins

First corner of the gamegoes to Villa after Agbonlahor's break, Milner takes the corner in towards the near post but Campvell is there to head it away.

6mins

Villa are very busy all over the park, hurridly closing down Pompey at every opportunity and Tony Adams side can't get out of their own half so far.

3mins

Barry with the first attack of the game with a freekick from midway inside the Pompey half, the Villa skipper floating it into the penalty dut Davies heads it away.

1mins

Bright start to the game, both sides playing at full pace right from the off and an interesting stat foryou that if Villa win 10-0 and Man Utd lose 1-0 at West Brom Villa will go top of the league.

0mins

Referee Peter Walton gets this clash underway with Villa knowing that a win will put them six points ahed of Arsenal in fourth spot whilst Tony Adams knows that another defeat will see his portsmouth side slide further down the table.

0mins

Aston Villa XI: Friedel, Cuellar, Knight, Davies, Luke Young, Gardner, Petrov, Barry, Milner, Agbonlahor, Heskey.

0mins

The big team news for Villa is that Emile Heskey makes his debut after his £3.5million move from Wigan but Marton O'Neill's men are without Ashley Young for a second game after his sending off against Sunderland.

0mins

Portsmouth XI: James, Johnson, Campbell, Distin, Hreidarsson, Pennant, Davis, Mullins, Belhadj, Crouch, Kanu.

0mins

Portsmouth hand a debut to Hayden Mullins after he completed his move to Fratton Park on Monday as under pressure Tony Adams make a couple of changes to the side that lost at home to Swansea.

Match Preview

Tony Adams must pick up his demoralised Portsmouth troops for the difficult league visit of in-form Aston Villa to Fratton Park.

Holders Pompey's defence of the FA Cup ended in meek fashion with a 2-0 home defeat at the hands of Championship side Swansea City on Saturday and afterwards an honest Adams admitted his side had been second best.

"We were out-classed, out-played and out-fought and that's not good enough," he said.

"It's disappointing to go out of the FA Cup no matter what round it is, but you have to put defeats like this to bed as quickly as possible."

However, despite Adams' frank assessment, it can't mask the fact that the feelgood factor which engulfed the club following their success at Wembley just ten months ago is now a distant memory.

Key players like Jermain Defoe and Lassana Diarra have left, manager Harry Redknapp has jumped ship and the club remains up for sale amid reports of empty coffers.

However, the additions of West Ham's Hayden Mullins and FC Porto midfielder Pele should give Pompey a much-needed boost.

Six league games without a win - a run stretching back to 2008 - has left the south coast club just three points above the relegation zone and desperately looking over their shoulders.

On the injury front, only Papa Bouba Diop (knee) and Richard Hughes (groin) are currently unavailable to Adams.

Villa arrive at Fratton Park looking to consolidate fourth place in the table.

Saturday's goalless FA Cup fourth round draw with Doncaster Rovers was a blot on an otherwise blemish-free copybook for the Midlands side, who are in the box-seat when it comes to securing Champions League qualification.

A run of seven unbeaten games - six of which have been victories - has seen Martin O'Neill's side move ahead of Arsenal in the race for a top-four finish and confidence at Villa Park is currently sky-high.

Last week's £3.5million capture of Emile Heskey is a further boost for the Midlands club and the England striker could make his debut at Fratton Park.

He is likely to fill the void of target-man created by the continued absence of John Carew with a back injury, while fellow frontman Ashley Young remains suspended.


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Match Report

Emile Heskey fired Aston Villa to a record-breaking sixth successive league away victory to keep up their hopes of finishing in a Champions League spot.

Brad Friedel's long kick was headed on by Gabriel Agbonlahor into the path of the England striker.

Heskey, who only signed from Wigan for £3.5million last week, fired home from 15 yards past the despairing dive of David James.

It was Portsmouth who had started the game more brightly with Jermaine Pennant a constant worry for the Villa defence down the right-hand side.

After Villa got the opener in the 21st minute, Pompey clawed their way back into the game and it was new signing Hayden Mullins who went closest.

The £1million signing met Pennant's cross but could not keep his shot down as it flew over the bar from 15 yards.

James Milner hit back for Villa four minutes later when his shot from 18 yards was blocked by Glen Johnson and the ball went out for a corner.

The Villa midfielder then tested James barely a minute later when his cross was tipped over the bar as it swirled and dipped and almost headed into the net.

Portsmouth came out revitalised after the break and went close with Pennant twice forcing Friedel into saves within four minutes of the restart.

But it was defender Nadir Belhadj who let the side down in the 70th minute.

The left-back had already been booked in the first half and after arguing with referee Philip Walton over a throw-in, he kicked the ball way and was shown a red card.

Pompey bravely tried to get back in the game with ten men but the Villa defence stood strong and they went on to record an impressive victory.

This is the first time in Villa's illustrious history that they have won six successive games away from home in a single season.

Portsmouth

Aston Villa

Corners

175

Fouls

911

Goal attempts

179

Shots off target

97

Offsides

01

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