- Kanu (25)
- Date:2007-09-23
- Kick-off:15:00
- Venue:Ewood Park
- Attendance:19506
- Referee:Foy, C
Live Commentary
90mins
Full time at Ewood Park
90mins
John Utaka is replaced by Noe Pamarot
90mins
Blackburn look drained and ready for the full time whistle to be blown.
90mins
The fourth official indicates 3 minutes of added time
88mins
Matt Taylor straight into the action as he had the chance to seal it for Pompey but his right footed volley was hit right at Brad Friedel who made the block
86mins
Matt Taylor replaces Niko Krancjar
85mins
David James was at full stretch as he looked to save Bentley's long range effort as it flew past the post
82mins
David Bentley's outswinging corner was cleared by Diop as Portsmouth defend desperately in the last ten minutes here
80mins
Jason Roberts replaces Morten Gamst Pedersen
78mins
David James booked for time wasting
77mins
A good move from Blackburn with another half chance, this time falling to Gamst Pedersen who couldn't keep his effort down
75mins
Brad Friedel with another good save from a Hermann Hreidarsson header to prevent Pompey going two up
73mins
A chance straight up the other end for Pompey to seal the game with Benjani crossing the ball in and Dioup sliding in to put the ball just wide of the post
70mins
Christopher Samba should have brought Rovers back on level terms but his header missed the target from Bentley's cross
68mins
Kanu is replaced by Benjani
66mins
The Pompey defence did well to anticipate Bentley's run to cross the ball with Hreidarsson intercepting the ball and passing up field
64mins
Papa Boupa Dioup should consider himself lucky to be on pitch still after three persisitant fouls following his yellow card in the first half
60mins
A direct run from Matt Derbyshire made his intentions clear as he drove forward positively and won a corner for Rovers
58mins
Stephen Warnock was lucky to get away without a booking after an obstruction on Dioup
56mins
Benni McCarthy is replaced Matt Derbyshire
56mins
David Dunn is replaced by Tugay
55mins
Blackburn are looking for a moment of brilliance or a killer ball that will cut Pompey's defence open, but they dont look very creative at the minute
52mins
Papa Boupa Diop will need to be careful after he recieved a final warning from Referee Chris Foy for a clip on Gamst Pedersen
50mins
Brad Friedel did well to prevent Kanu from tapping the ball into the net after Christopher Samba had mis-judged the cross into the penalty area
49mins
Cross by David Bentley into the goal area but Sylvain Distin was there to head to safety
47mins
A good start to the second half from Santa Cruz who chased down Glen Johnson to the byline and won a corner for Blackburn
46mins
Portsmouth get the game back underway
45mins
Half time here at Ewood Park and Portsmouth go in ahead
44mins
The fourth official indicates two minutes of added time
43mins
David Bentley made a brilliant run forward after beating three men but was tackled by the fourth before he could slot McCarthy in on goal
40mins
Portsmouth failed to capatalise on a five on four counter attack as John Utaka was easily pushed off the ball by Gamst Pedersen of all people
37mins
Gamst Pedersen with one of his dangerous inswinging corners but Glen Johnson rose heighest and headed it clear
34mins
David James showing a good command of his area as he came rushing out to gather the ball from McCarthy's feet
32mins
David Bentley tried to dance around Hermann Hreidarsson down the right, but the Icelandic defender did well to block the delivery
30mins
Andre Ooijer with some solid defending for Rovers as he ushered Utaka off the ball with ease and played it up field to Bentley
27mins
Santa Cruz couldn't quite keep his header down after a good deep cross from Stephen Warnock
25mins
Robbie Savage gets annoyed with the Blackburn defence as they failed to clear there lines and nearly let in Kanu once again
23mins
BLACKBURN 0 - 1 PORTSMOUTH (KANU): Nwankwo Kanu with a goal to put pompey in front
21mins
Sylvain Distin and Santa Cruz have a little spat between each other after an aerial collision
20mins
A quiet and slow start to the game so far, with Blackburn having the best of the chances to go in front
17mins
Dioup goes in the referee's notebook for a mistimed tackle on Bentley
14mins
Papa Boupa Diop with an audacious strike from a good thirty yards out which unsuprisingly went over the bar
12mins
David Bentley ran the Pompey defence ragged before unleashing a strike from eighteen yards out, but unfortunately for him it flew over the bar
10mins
Benni McCarthy with a not particularly handsome strike on goal for Rovers as it span high and wide of the upright
8mins
Portsmouth won their first corner of the game but Krancjar's delivery was headed clear by Christopher Samba
6mins
Robbie Savage leaves the field of play for a leg injury but the Welshman looks like he's going to come back and carry on
4mins
Roque Santa Cruz was so close to his first goal at Ewood Park as he headed the ball straight against the post from eight yards out
2mins
Blackburn make the first attack of the game as Morten Gamst Pedersen's deep cross was cleared easily by Sol Campbell
1mins
Blackburn get the game underway here at Ewood Park
0mins
Referee: Chris Foy (Merseyside)
0mins
Portsmouth make only one change to the team that drew with Liverpool last weekend with Niko Krancjar replacing Benjani.
0mins
Mark Hughes makes only one change to the team that lost in Uefa Cup midweek, and that is Christopher Samba comes into replace the injured Ryan Nelson in the heart of the defence.
0mins
Portsmouth Line-up: James, Johnson, Campbell, Distin, Hreidarsson, Muntari, Davis, Diop, Kranjcar, Kanu, Utaka
0mins
Blackburn Rovers Line-up: Friedel, Emerton, Samba, Ooijer, Warnock, Bentley, Savage, Dunn, Pedersen, Santa Cruz, McCarthy
Match Preview
Blackburn have been feeling the heat all week following their controversial goalless draw with Chelsea last weekend and will be glad to return to football on Sunday - despite it being their second game in four days.
Even as they warmed up for Thursday's UEFA Cup game with Larissa, the sound of Jose Mourinho's complaints still rang fresh around Ewood Park.
The former Chelsea boss went as far as to demand an apology from Peter Kirkup, the assistant referee who disallowed Salomon Kalou's apparent goal in the 57th minute of that match.
Rovers manager Mark Hughes was less inflammatory and preferred to concentrate on a performance which Blackburn will hope to replicate against Pompey.
"I've sensed a different mentality in the dressing room and the qualities the group are showing at the moment enable us to come to places like Stamford Bridge and get something from a game many people would not expect you to," Hughes explained following the match.
No timescale has been placed on Chris Samba's return to the side following his horrific-looking head injury sustained against Chelsea.
The defender, who made his move from Hertha Berlin permanent over the summer, was accidentally kicked in the head by Andriy Shevchenko as both players went for the ball.
Although neck damage was feared, major concussion was the most damaging result and Samba could be in the squad - if not the team - by Sunday.
Portsmouth also come into the game following a 0-0 draw with a title contending team, though for them it was a Liverpool side stripped of many first-team players by manager Rafa Benitez's controversial selection policy.
"I'd never feel confident enough to go and rest players. I think you take a big chance, but it's worked for Rafa in the past," Pompey boss Harry Redknapp claimed during the week.
Nevertheless, Portsmouth will have been happy to have walked away with a point, even if they had a Nwankwo Kanu penalty saved 32 minutes into the match.
They had lost to Chelsea and Arsenal in their previous two league games and will be pleased to have come through a run of fixtures which would have been nightmarish at the best of times.
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Match Report
A solitary goal from Portsmouth's Nwankwo Kanu condemned Blackburn Rovers to their first Premier League defeat of the campaign.
The Nigerian striker netted the game's only goal with a neat solo strike midway through the first half.
Rovers, who were one of only three teams in the top-flight yet to taste defeat, have now gone three games without scoring a goal.
Before the game, both sides made one change from their last outings. Chris Samba returned from the head injury he sustained against Chelsea in place of Rovers captain Ryan Nelsen, who limped out of Thursday's UEFA Cup defeat away to Larissa FC, whilst Croatian midfielder Niko Kranjcar was preferred to Benjani Mwaruwari for the visitors.
In decidedly defiant mood following the shock 2-0 defeat to the Greek minnows in midweek, Rovers started the game at a canter.
After four minutes, Roque Santa Cruz broke from midfield, before feeding the ball right to David Bentley, who delivered a pinpoint cross which the Paraguayan striker headed against the stanchion. From the ensuing scramble, Morten Gamst Pedersen believed he should have been awarded a penalty, before a free-kick on the edge of the box was given, which the Norwegian took and saw saved.
On ten minutes, Bentley's deep cross to Pedersen was expertly controlled and played inside to Benni McCarthy, who uncharacteristically blazed over the bar, as did Bentley just two minutes later.
Against the run of play, Portsmouth almost broke the deadlock with their first real attack of the game. On 23 minutes, John Utaka crossed from right, Kanu beat the Rovers offside trap, but his free header and then follow-up forced goalkeeper Brad Friedel into a sensational double save.
A minute later, however, and the visitors did take the lead. Papa Bouba Diop headed a long ball upfield into the path of Kanu, who rounded Friedel, held off the challenge of Stephen Warnock and slotted past Samba on the line.
Route one football appeared to be the order of the day for the visitors. Five minutes after the break, a huge goal-kick from keeper David James caused confusion between Samba and Friedel and Kanu was almost gifted his second goal of the game.
Rovers' biggest threat looked to be from set-pieces. Samba failed to control Pedersen's corner at the back post and then the giant Congolese defender couldn't connect with Bentley's free-kick when unmarked in front of goal.
Benjani came on for the visitors and almost set up Portsmouth's second, but somehow Bouba Diop missed the open goal, whilst at the other end, fellow substitute Jason Roberts failed to find a way past James, as Rovers slipped to back-to-back defeats.
Blackburn Rovers Team
Portsmouth Team
Blackburn Rovers | Portsmouth |
Corners
| 7 | 4 |
Fouls
| 6 | 16 |
Goal attempts
| 9 | 13 |
Shots off target
| 5 | 6 |
Offsides
| 3 | 1 |
90mins
Santa Cruz could only glance a header at David James after a cross to the back post from Tugay