Portsmouth 2 - 0 Aston Villa

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Saturday Mar 15 2008 03:00

Aston Villa goalkeeper Scott Carson dropped an absolute clanger to gift Portsmouth an easy goal and hand them a win on a plate.

England flop Carson smashed the ball against Nigel Reo-Coker and the ball flew straight back into the net after Jermain Defoe had earlier given Pompey the lead with a stupendous chip.

The win leaves Portsmouth still fighting for a UEFA Cup spot and they also have an FA Cup semi-final to look forward to next month.Shaun Maloney was first to threaten for Villa in a lively opening as he fired in a 20-yard drive that David James got his body behind to save.Sulley Muntari hit back for Portsmouth in the eighth minute when he fired a trademark 25-yard pile-driver that Wilfred Bouma did well to block for a corner.

Portsmouth took the lead in the 11th minute thanks to a beautiful goal by Defoe. The former Spurs striker latched onto Glen Johnson's long ball and delicately lifted the ball over Carson from 18 yards out on the right-hand edge of the penalty area.

Defoe has now hit six goals since his move from White Hart Lane in the January transfer window and looks like he is really enjoying himself on the south coast.Milan Baros was next to threaten against his former club. He went on a mazy run before shooting from 20 yards but Carson dived to his right to make the save.

England goalkeeper James pulled off a wonderful block to deny dangerman John Carew. The giant forward nodded on Ashley Young's cross, but James reacted magnificently to claw the ball away.

On this form James looks every inch a top-class goalkeeper and he could still be between the posts for England in the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.

Portsmouth doubled their lead seven minutes before the break through Reo-Coker's comedy own goal. Carson rushed out to clear from Defoe but hit his pass straight against Reo-Coker and the ball rebounded off the midfielder and into the back of the net.

Carson was mercilessly ribbed by the crowd for the rest of the match and he looks woefully short of confidence compared to England rival James at the other end.

Another player short on confidence is Gabriel Agbonlahor and he missed the easiest chance of the game.Gareth Barry got to the by-line and squared the ball to the young striker who somehow managed to miss with the goal at his mercy.

His goalless run now stretches to ten games and he will not get an easier chance to break that duck.

Live Commentary

90
FT: Portsmouth 2-0 Aston Villa: The visitors will be bemused by their inability to find the back of the net today but Portsmouth were clinical and in Jermain Defoe they have a striker capable of taking them into Europe next season surely.

90
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.

90
Time is closing now and the comeback appears to be almost definitely off as we enter injury time - of which there are four minutes.

87
Olof Mellberg is the second to be dismissed as he cynically drags back Lassana Diarra who was trying to break away.

86
Portsmouth are taking the ball into the corners to try and waste the remaining minutes - much to the delight of the home crowd.

84
Baros has been busy today and he is now replaced by Nwankwo Kanu who can be a handful at times although he has little time to do anything - not that he really needs to as Pompey are just trying to hold on.

84
Papa Bouba Diop picks up a late yellow card for tripping Gareth Barry in midfield.

83
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.

81
Jermain Defoe is going to come off now for John Utaka as Pompey jsut look to solidify their midfield after the dismissal.

80
Sulley Ali Muntari gets a pair of yellow cards - meaning a red - to sit alongisde the two goals he scored at Villa Park by bringing down Salifou.

79
Moustapha Salifou - labelled the Togolese Zidane by Emmanuel Adebayor no less - is on in place of Bouma to try and find a way back into the game.

75
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.

74
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.

72
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.

71
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.

69
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.

65
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.

64
Lauren picks up the hosts second booking of the game as he brings down Agbonlahor.

64
Olof Mellberg is booked on his return to the side for a foul on the tricky Kranjcar.

63
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.

60
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.

57
Marlon Harewood has become a bit of a supersub for Villa lately and he gets the chance again as he replaces Maloney.

55
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.

53
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.

51
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.

48
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.

46
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.

46
It will be interesting to see how Villa try to come back now as the second half kicks off at Fratton Park.

45
Port 2-0 A Vi:Villa have dominated but Pompey lead courtesy of a clinical effort from Defoe and a freak own goal from Reo-Coker.

45
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.

44
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.

42
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.

40
Somehow Portsmouth look like going in two up despite being played off the park by Villa in the first half.

38
GOAL:Portsmouth 2-0 A Villa: (38mins) Unfortunate on Reo-Coker as Carson comes out to clear but it smashes back off him into the net.

36
Sulley Ali Muntari grabbed two in the return fixture earlier this season but he has a booking to show for his efforts today now by fouling Reo-Coker.

34
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.

32
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.

30
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.

27
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.

24
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.

22
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.

19
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.

18
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.

17
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.

16
That goal was a real sucker-punch to to Villa who have been the better side so far but Pompey will not be complaining.

14
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?

12
GOAL:Portsmouth 1-0 A Villa: (12mins) Sumptuous from Defoe as he takes it down beautifully before lobbing it cooly over Carson and in.

10
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.

8
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.

5
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.

3
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.

2
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.

1
Chris Foy is today's match official and he gets this vitally important match underway.

0
Aston Villa: Carson, Mellberg, Laursen, Knight, Bouma, Maloney, Reo-Coker, Barry, Young, Carew, Agbonlahor

0
Portsmouth: James, Johnson, Hreidarsson, Distin, Lauren, Diop, Diarra, Muntari, Kranjcar, Baros, Defoe

0
Gabriel Agbonlahor has been going through a bit of a goal drought lately and he will be hoping to hit back to top form today, while Martin Laursen and Ashley Young are both starting so set-pieces coiuld prove vital again for the Villains.

0
Jermain Defoe is in superb goalscoring form after the midweek 4-2 defeat of Birmingham City and the team's confidence is sky high going into this one.

0
Welcome to Fratton Park where Fa Cup semi-finalists Portsmouth host fellow European spot contenders Aston Villa in a crucial game on the South Coast.

Statistics

Portsmouth

Shots on target	5
Shots off target	8
Shots off bar/post	0
Fouls	17
Offsides	0
Corners	3

Aston Villa

Shots on target	8
Shots off target	6
Shots off bar/post	0
Fouls	13
Offsides	2
Corners	6

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