- Benjani (7), Benjani (37), Hreidarsson (55), Benjani (70), Kranjcar (75), Ingimarsson (81 og), Muntari (90 pen)
- Rosenior (45), Kitson (48), Long (79), Campbell (90 og)
- Date:2007-09-29
- Kick-off:15:00
- Venue:Fratton Park
- Attendance:20102
- Referee:Halsey, M
Live Commentary
90mins
The whistle is blown and this captivating clash is brought to an end after a day both sets of defenders here would rather forget.
90mins
SHOREY drills the ball into the back of the net from Long's cross and surely now the drama is over?
90mins
Michael Duberry is carded for unsporting behaviour late on but his team are already down and out.
90mins
MUNTARI sends the penalty high into the roof of the net to give Hahnemann no chance of saving it, there has now been 10 goals in this game!
90mins
Rosenior brings down Kranjcar in area and referee Halsey points to the spot for the second time.
86mins
Muntari whips in a cross which Hreidarsson meets with his head but sends the ball agonisngly wide from six yards.
84mins
David Nugent wants to get his 100th league goal this afternoon after replacing Benjani but his fierce effort is beaten away by Hahnemann.
83mins
Fae looks to get on the scoresheet this afternoon, drilling a shot at goal from 30 yards but misscues and sends his effort wide of the mark.
81mins
After setting up a goal, DAVIES gets one of his own, beating Hahnemann with a long range shot which should have been easy for the keeper to deal with.
80mins
Benjani makes way for David Nugent and receives standing ovation from the home support.
79mins
Just overa minute after making the changes, Fae crosses in for LONG to head home but surely Reading can't find the two goals they need to bring fings all square once more.
77mins
Gunnarsson makes way for Emerse Fae to complete Reading's double substitution.
77mins
Graeme Murty comes off for Shane Long as Steve Coppell looks to drag a goal back.
75mins
KRANJCAR gets a goal he has deserved through his contribution to the match this afternoon, heading in a Davies cross and now surely Pompey cannot be beat?
72mins
Shorey swings in a cross but yet again James is equal to it and puches clear the danger.
70mins
BENJANI gets his hat-trick, firing low down the middle of the goal after great work from Muntari found the striker unmarked in the box.
67mins
Matthew Taylor picks up a needless booking for having too much to say to the referee, who has kept his cards in his pocket this afternoon until now.
64mins
Shorey blasts his penalty low into the bottom corner but James pulls off a save of the highest quality to deny Reading a second equaliser!
63mins
Reading build a bit of momentum and as Diop sticks out an arm, Mark Halsey awards a penalty which Shorey walks up to take, what a game!
61mins
Despite conceding thrice in this match Reading's American stopper Hahnemann has been their saviour, it really could have been double that.
60mins
Kranjcar looks to get forward for the umpteenth time this afternoon and blasts a shot at goal but straight at Hahnemann who saves and holds once more.
57mins
Doyle seems to be pulling the strings out wide for the visitors at the minute and his cross finds Kitson's head but the latter sends the ball sailing over the bar!
55mins
HREIDARSSON heads home from six yards to give Portsmouth the lead after Distin's good work and pin-point cross, Pompey back on top in this enthralling encounter!
52mins
Utaka springs forward and hits a low, rasping shot which Ivar Ingimarsson throws his body in the way of to block.
50mins
Reading are right back in this match now with Doyle doing the honours out on the wing, sending in a looping cross which Disitin manages to clear.
48mins
KITSON brings the game level after good work from Hunt released his team mate and a rasping blistering shot from 20 yards was enough to unexpectedly bring the game square.
46mins
Almost immediately Benjani comes close to breaking through on goal but the flag has already been raised and the foward is deemed to be offside.
45mins
The second half is underway, can Portsmouth come out all guns blazing once more?
45mins
That goal was the last action of the first half and Portsmouth will be absolutely devistated that they are only a goal up after near total dominance in the first 45.
45mins
HUNT finds the back of the net after poor defending from Distin leaves the Reading man with a simple header from six yards.
43mins
Rosenior works room out on the left hand side of the box a weaves his way inside the area before sending in a shot which flies inches wide.
41mins
Utaka curls in a cross for Glenn Johnson who has had little to do in the first half and the wing backs volley is goalbound before Hahnemann pulls off a brilliant one handed save to deny Pompey their third.
40mins
Benjani look fired up for this game and is caught offside after making a run a moment too soon.
37mins
BENJANI gets his second of the afternoon after collecting a long ball from Diop and drilling a shot into the bottom corner from 20 yards.
35mins
Pompey pile on the pressure once more and surely it's only a matter of time before they get their second.
33mins
Shorey finds the ball at his feet for the first time in a while and sends in a delicious ball into the box but Hreidarsson is there to clear.
31mins
Diop attempts a trademark rasping shot from way out wich deceives Hahnemann who can only parry behind for a corner, a brilliant shot from 40 yards.
28mins
Reading continue to struggle in this match and are being pinned back in their own half through wave after wave of Portsmouth attacks.
26mins
Shorey has a chance to set up an attack with a direct free kick out wide but yet again the ball is poor and the Royal's squander another opportunity.
25mins
Once again the home side come forward, defender Sylvain Distin bending in a lovely ball fo Utaka who shapes himself for a volley but sends the ball clean over the crossbar from just inside the area.
23mins
It's all Portsmouth at the moment and it doesn't look like Reading will be able to find a way back into this match if they continue like this!
21mins
Kranjcar watches the ball onto his left foot but gets his shot all wrong, miss-hitting the ball and sending it wide of goal.
19mins
Liam Rosenior whips in a cross from a free kick and James comes rushing out to puch off the head of a charging Kevin Doyle.
17mins
The match has broken down somewhat in the last couple of minutes with neither side able to force an attack but at this it is Reading who need to work David Jame's in Portsmouth's goal who is making his 600th and 139th straight league appearance today
15mins
Diop races forward with the ball and whips in a cross for goalscorer Benjani who fires in another shot but this time Hahnemann deals well with the effort and holds on to deny the striker his second of the afternoon.
13mins
A moment of real drama as Niko Kranjcar swings in a cross which looks easy for Hahnemann to deal with but the American fumbles the ball to the feet of Diop who shoots but unbelievably puts his effort wide of the mark from six yards.
11mins
Brynjar Gunnarsson finds Nicky Shorey with a ball to feet and the winger feeds in a high ball twards th centre of the box but veteran defender Sol Campbell rises highest and clears the danger with his head.
9mins
Stephen Hunt receives the ball out wide and brings the ball forward, he looks up and plays in a cross which fails to find a team mate.
7mins
BENJANI slots home from six yards after Utaka's pin-point ball into the box and the home fans are sent into raptures early on in this match!
6mins
John Utaka finds Sulley Muntari with the resulting free kick and the midfielder has a pop from distance but once again Hahnemann sees the ball wide.
5mins
Michael Duberry brings down Benjani Mwaruwari and referee Halsey blows up for a free kick.
4mins
Dave Kitson works himself some space on the left hand side of the area before unleashing a shot at the top corner but his aim is all wrong and the ball sails over the bar.
3mins
The match has begun slowly and apart from Bouba Diop's shot in the early stages, most of this game has been bogged down in the centre of the park.
1mins
Papa Bouba Diop tries a shot from 12 yards out but Marcus Hahnemann positions himself well and holds on to save the opening effort of the match.
0mins
Mark Halsey checks his watch and gets the match underway here at Fratton Park.
0mins
Reading XI: Hahnemann, Murty, Duberry, Ingimarsson, Rosenior, Shorey, Gunnarsson, Harper, Hunt, Doyle, Kitson.
0mins
Portsmouth XI: James, Johnson, Campbell, Distin, Hreidarsson, Davis, Utaka, Bouba Diop, Muntari, Kranjcar, Benjani.
0mins
This afternoon's referee is Mark Halsey; the Lancashire official hs handed out one red and 18 yellow's in five matches so far this season.
0mins
Reading also have injury worries with Bobby Convey, Glenn Little, John Oster and Ibrahim Sonko all missing.
0mins
Portsmouth are sweating over the fitness over top goalscorer Nwnankwo Kanu and the hosts are yet to chalk up back to back league victories in 25 attempts.
Match Preview
Portsmouth return to fortress Fratton Park for Saturday's visit of Reading after back-to-back league and cup wins in the past seven days.
Harry Redknapp's in-form side followed up last weekend's 1-0 Premier League victory at Blackburn Rovers with a 1-0 win over Championship side Burnley in the third round of the League Cup on Tuesday.
Last weekend's first league victory of the season on the road lifted Pompey up to 11th place in the fledgling table and left Redknapp praising his side after a testing opening run of fixtures.
"The only setback we've had this year was against Arsenal when we were turned over in the first half," said Redknapp, after seeing his side face Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool and the Gunners during the opening weeks of the campaign.
"So apart from one dodgy half, we've been terrific all season. We have more than held our own."
Redknapp is set to recall a number of first-team players who were rested for the Carling Cup tie.
Matt Taylor, David Nugent, Noe Pamarot, Benjani Mwaruwari, Pedro Mendes, Richard Hughes and Arnold Mvuemba all stepped into the squad for the trip to Turf Moor, but likes likes of Kanu, John Utaka, Sean Davis and Sulley Ali Muntari are expected to return for the visit of the Royals.
Three-goal marksman Kanu - who scored the winner against Blackburn last weekend - is expected to play despite picking up a minor knee knock in training.
Reading responded to the rallying cry of manager Steve Coppell as they defeated Wigan Athletic 2-1 last weekend.
The out-of-form Royals had dropped into the bottom three on the back of a three-game Premier League losing streak either side of the international break.
Coppell had threatened to make wholesale changes to his line-up after admitting his patience was wearing thin, but a late winner from James Harper added to Dave Kitson's opener secured the points at the Madejski Stadium.
"Psychologically it was very important to win," he admitted. "It's a massive three points and it didn't matter how we got them.
"It's a very tough division and it can very quickly strangle you when you are down there. I hope this gives us a little bit of a confidence injection and we can go on from here."
Tuesday's Carling Cup defeat by a 4-2 scoreline at the hands of Liverpool also contained enough quality to please the dejected manager.
However, Coppell's side have yet to win on their travels in the league this season and remain firmly entrenched in the bottom half of the table.
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Match Report
Portsmouth striker Benjani Mwaruwari smashed a hat-trick to maintain his side's unbeaten start at home, but his treble proved a mere footnote as Fratton Park bore witness to the highest scoring Premier League game in history.
The Zimbabwean frontman scored two before half-time to put Pompey in a commanding position after they had totally dominated Reading for the first 45 minutes.
Completely against the run of play though, Irish midfielder Stephen Hunt headed a goal seconds before half-time to give the under siege Royals a fighting chance.
That soon transformed into an equaliser as David James came rushing out of his goal three minutes into the second period only to make a horrendous lack of judgement to see Dave Kitson steal the ball and then produce a finish of real quality from the touchline.
At 2-2 the game then merely increased in velocity as both sides neglected any defensive duties and a goal bonanza ensued.
Hermann Hreidarsson thrust his side back into the lead by heading in Sylvain Distin's cleverly chipped centre, before Benjani sealed his hat-trick by chasing Sulley Muntari's throughball to round Marcus Hahnemann and slot into an unguarded net.
Croatia midfielder Niko Kranjcar than capped an inspiring display to get in on the act and as he arrived late at the far post to head home from close range from Sean Davis' cleverly chipped centre.
Amid Pompey's goal frenzy, Reading had the misfortune of missing a second-half penalty as Nicky Shorey's spot-kick was saved by James following Distin's handball inside the area.
The away side though were not to be outdone in the scoring stakes as substitute James Harper's deflected drive cannoned off Shane Long and into the net.
True to the pattern of the game, just as Reading had looked to have clawed their way back into the game once more Pompey grabbed a sixth as Davis' long-ranger clipped Michael Duberry leaving Hahnemann helpless.
Shorey atoned for his penalty miss by getting on the scoresheet ten minutes from time, but it was merely academic as Muntari wrapped things up at the death with a penalty.
Portsmouth Team
Reading Team
Portsmouth | Reading |
Corners
| 8 | 4 |
Fouls
| 4 | 7 |
Goal attempts
| 26 | 1 |
Shots off target
| 8 | 5 |
Offsides
| 4 | 0 |



88mins
Hunt sends his shot soaring towards goal but James gets his body in the way to deny.