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  • Benjani (38), Benjani (42), Benjani (55)
  • Nyatanga (4)
  • Date:2008-01-19
  • Kick-off:15:00
  • Venue:Fratton Park
  • Attendance:19401
  • Referee:Dean, M

Live Commentary

90mins

The final whistle goes and Benjani's hat-rick is enough for Pompey to ease past Derby, despite the Rams taking that early lead.

90mins

There will be 3 minutes of stoppage time.

89mins

Hat-rick hero Benjani Mwaruwari is replaced by Arnold Mvuemba.

87mins

James makes a great save from Giles Barnes, that was a great chance for Derby there, and James did well to tip that around the post.

86mins

Only minutes to go, and this game is all over bar the shouting, as some sections of the crowd decide to leave early.

83mins

Niko Kranjcar makes a great run, passing Darren Moore, his effort is a good one, but goes inches wide of the post.

81mins

Richard Hughes comes on to replace Lassana Diarra, who has had a very good debut for Pompey.

78mins

Benjani has a great effort on goal with his shot across the face of the box, however, Moore defends well and puts the ball out for a corner.

74mins

Villa once again was centre in a Derby attack, it was a good through ball for Giles Barnes, but Pompey defended well and cleared the danger.

70mins

Mendes' shot was well blocked by Savage, however the move before hand by Pompey was first class, and cut right through this dejected Derby side,

69mins

Mendes hit a great ball right across the danger area in the Derby box, but no one made the gamble and the ball goes out to saftey.

67mins

Gary Teale replaces Craig Fagan, who was lucky to escape his 2nd yellow only minutes ago.

65mins

Craig Fagan needs to be careful here, already on a yellow, he's just made a bad tackle on a Pompey player, and Paul Jewell is not happy with his player there.

64mins

The game has gone quiet now as Pompey are controlling this game, and Derby aren't showing mant signs of resistance either.

60mins

Emanuel Villa is booked for unsporting behaviour.

59mins

James makes a good save from Emanuel Villa, and with half an hour to go, things are going from bad to worse for Derby.

56mins

Giles Barnes replaces Laurent Robert.

55mins

Benjani Mwaruwari scores! Pompey hit Derby on a stinging counter-attack, Derby are left 3-on-1 at the back, Benjani was then left the simple task of finishing the move off to complete the hat-rick.

53mins

Craig Fagan is booked for a foul on Niko Kranjcar.

51mins

Hossam Ghaly tries his luck from range, but his effort is a tame one and goes safely wide of goal.

48mins

A slow start to this second half, but with Pompey in the lead, its all up to Derby to take the game by the scruff of the neck

45mins

It will be an uphill task for the Rams now, having taken and then losing the lead, the away side have left themselves with it all to do in this second half.

45mins

The whistle goes and Derby are denied a half-time lead as two goals from Benjani finally breaks the Fratton Park curse.

45mins

There will be two minutes of stoppage time to be added.

44mins

Once again Derby take the lead and then let it slip, and what must the Derby fans be thinking?

42mins

Benjani Mwaruwari scores! The box was packed, yet somehow Hermann Hreidarsson's ball in was met by an umarked Benjani, who headed home.

40mins

Lassana Diarra is booked for a late challenge on Hossam Ghaly.

38mins

Benjani Mwaruwari scores! The goal was always comming, he showed great skill with a turn and shot in the box, and the scores are now level.

36mins

Noe Pamarot loses his marker and gets a header on goal from the Pompey set-piece, however the effort is wide.

33mins

A long ball from Robert is just too powerful for Kenny Miller as the ball gets just ahead of him and Distin is able to clear.

31mins

Danny Mills, who has a blood injury, is comming off and Eddie Lewis is replacing him.

28mins

Johnson plays in a good cross, but it seems to have just too much on it as it goes over the heads of the Pompey strikers, and Derby weather another attack.

25mins

Sylvain Distin makes a critical clearance with a header as Kenny Miller was lurking behind him at the back post ready to pounce.

23mins

Benjani gets behind Darren Moore, and Moore just gets a tackle in before the Pompey striker could burst through on goal with his pace.

20mins

A solid start from Derby here, however Pompey are slowly getting back into it, and with the unreliability of the Rams defence, this game is still wide open.

17mins

Niko Kranjcar has a much better effort on goal, he turns Savage and unleashes a cracker on goal, but the effort goes just past the post.

14mins

Niko Kranjcar is setting up to strike a free-kick in a dangerous area, but he fires it high over the bar, and the chance is gone.

12mins

What an exciting start to this game, Pompey have certainly come back in force, but the Pompey fans have been stunned to silence by that early Derby goal.

9mins

Benjani appeals to the referee that he is being pulled back by Moore, but Mike Dean waves play on.

6mins

Derby have another great effort on goal, but the shot from Miller goes just over the bar, and what a start from the Rams.

4mins

Lewin Nyatanga scores! On his debut, Nyatanga follows up and converts from close range after Moore's shot was saved by David James.

2mins

Benjani receives the ball in a good position, however Robbie Savage defends well and can clear the danger.

0mins

Mike Dean gets the game underway, and Pompey fans will believe that the game against the Rams today is their best chance to end this current 6 game goal drought at Fratton Park.

0mins

Derby are without Stephen Bywater and full-back Tyrone Mears, however Kenny Miller returns as the rams start with: Price, Mills, Todd, Moore, Nyatanga, Fagan, Savage, Ghaly, Robert, Villa, Miller

0mins

New signing Lassana Diarra starts, as does Glen Johnson and Noe Pamarot, who have returned from injury as Pompey begin with: James, Johnson, Pamarot, Distin, Hreidarsson, Lauren, Diarra, Pedro Mendes, Kranjcar, Mwaruwari, Nugent

Match Preview

Harry Redknapp will be hoping for a happy homecoming when his Portsmouth side entertain beleaguered Derby County.

Last weekend he saw his side beaten 2-0 at Sunderland just hours after pledging his future to the club following an approach from Newcastle United.

Redknapp was unimpressed by the display at the Stadium of Light and was left to count the cost of the loss of four players to the Africa Cup of Nations for their second defeat in the space of three league games.

Sulley Muntari, Kanu, Papa Bouba Diop and John Utaka were all unavailable and afterwards Redknapp said: "We can't cope when we lose five or six of our starting 11.

"We were poor, we never got going and Sunderland were better on the day."

The result also saw the inconsistent south coast club lose further pace with the group of clubs chasing a UEFA Cup spot and they are now ninth in the table.

Part of the reason for Portsmouth's recent demise has been their form at Fratton Park, where they haven't won for the last five league games.

Just two league victories on the south coast all season is threatening to undermine their bid for a first ever taste of European football next season.

However, the visit of a team well adrift at the foot of the table will provide a welcome opportunity for three home points and the chance to kick-start the second half of their campaign.

Glen Johnson (hamstring), Matty Taylor (back) and Sean Davis (ankle) could all return if they can shake off recent knocks.

Derby County boss Paul Jewell handed league debuts to five players last weekend but the result was depressingly familiar for long-suffering supporters.

Robbie Savage, Emanuel Villa, Hossam Ghaly, Laurent Robert and Danny Mills all made their league bows for the rock-bottom club, but they still went down 1-0 at home to Wigan Athletic to suffer a 17th defeat of the season.

Afterwards Jewell refused to admit his side's hopes of avoiding the drop were all but over, but privately the newly-installed manager must be preparing for life in the Championship next season.

The Rams have amassed just seven points from their 22 games to date and are odds-on to now be relegated with the lowest ever Premier League point haul.

However, they earned a 2-2 draw at Portsmouth with a battling display on the opened weekend of the season and Jewell will call for a repeat performance on Saturday.


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Match Report

Benjani Mwaruwari ended Portsmouth's long wait for a goal at Fratton Park by bagging a hat-trick against Premier League basement club Derby County.

The Zimbabwean striker celebrated Pompey's 578-minute wait for a home goal in style by running the Rams defence ragged after they had taken a shock early lead through Lewin Nyatanga.

Paul Jewell had recalled the young Welshman from loan at Barnsley and handed him his Premier League debut to the astonishment of many away fans.

Nyatanga though quickly repaid his managers faith by scoring inside the first five minutes after Emanuel Villa's header from a Laurent Robert free-kick hit the crossbar and the Derby defender was on hand to finish.

Kenny Miller could have put them two goals to the good a minute later when he broke through clear on goal but David James spread himself to deny the Scotland international.

Pompey, who were without captain Sol Campbell, were then brought to life through influential midfielder Niko Kranjcar.

The Croatian turned Robbie Savage twice on the edge of the penalty area before lashing an effort just over.

He came even closer five minutes later after Hermann Hreidarsson's cross had only been half cleared with Derby keeper Lewis Price able to smother his low strike.

The respite for Derby was only brief as veteran defender Danny Mills was forced off on 31 minutes leaving Jewell to make a reshuffle at the back.

That seemed to disrupt their organisation and David Nugent and Pedro Mendes combined to lay the ball on for Benjani to turn from close range and grab his tenth of the season.

Four minutes later and Pompey were in the lead as Hreidarsson in unfamiliar waters in the final third of the pitch crossed well for the former Auxerre striker to plant his header past Price.

The second half proved a formality once Pompey had grabbed their third with the goals of the game as Benjani and Mendes counter-attacked with purpose before the striker rolled his finish past Price inside the far post.

Kranjcar and Mendes used the opportunity to showcase some of their extravagant skills with the Derby midfield chasing shadows and yet another defeat leaves them in need of a miracle to stop a speedy return to the Championship.

Portsmouth

Derby County

Corners

62

Fouls

149

Goal attempts

187

Shots off target

102

Offsides

25

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