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  • Belhadj (8)
  • Collison (20), Cole (67), Bellamy (70), Bellamy (83)
  • Date:2008-12-26
  • Kick-off:13:00
  • Venue:Fratton Park
  • Attendance:20102
  • Referee:Bennett, S

Live Commentary

90mins

Full-Time: PORTSMOUTH 1-4 WEST HAM.

89mins

David James comfortably saves Tristan's long-range effort.

86mins

Scott Parker's name goes into the book.

86mins

Diego Tristan replaces Carlton Cole for West Ham.

82mins

PORTSMOUTH 1-4 WEST HAM: Dear oh dear, you have to feel for Tony Adams here. BELLAMY gets his second of the game, very harsh scoreline Pompey have played better than this.

79mins

West Ham are awarded a free-kick after Hughes fouled Boa Morte. Bellamy takes a shot directly from the free-kick and James is forced to make a decent save.

77mins

Boa Morte has a shot but Distin blocks for Portsmouth who look like a beaten side.

72mins

The Hammers also make a change as Mark Noble makes way for Luis Boa Morte.

72mins

Adams also decides to bring Kanu on for Defoe.

70mins

Pompey make a change as Glen Little is replaced by Armand Traore.

69mins

PORTSMOUTH 1-3 WEST HAM: Well that could be it now, BELLAMY has just beaten James with a powerful strike into the roof of the net.

67mins

PORTSMOUTH 1-2 WEST HAM: It was always going to happen, Portsmouth wasted so many chances and then Behrami pops up to set up COLE who slides the ball past James from close range.

66mins

Behrami collects a yellow card and concedes a free kick. Kranjcar has a shot but Green saves the Croat's attempt easily

63mins

Davis has a go from distance but Green gathers at the second attempt.

61mins

Defoe has a shot from 20 yards Green gathers easily, you get the feeling that if Portsmouth don't make the most of this pressure West Ham could punish them, they still look dangerous on the break.

60mins

Upson heads onto the bar from Noble's corner, let off for Pompey.

58mins

James saves Collison's shot and West Ham win a corner, an outswinging corner is taken by Noble, Upson gets a shot in but it's off target.

57mins

Short corner taken by Jack Collison, but Portsmouth regain possession and break, Crouch gets a shot in but it's wide.

54mins

Little takes a corner for Pompey, I was wondering when Kranjcar was going to stop taking them his deliveries have been poor, but Davenport makes the clearance.

53mins

Noble has just shot over the Portsmouth bar, moments earlier Krajcar did the same at the other end. Great end-to-end game.

51mins

Crouch has a shot but it's well wide, then Little crosses into the West Ham box forceing a decent catch from Rob Green. Portsmouth really dominating proceedings at the moment.

49mins

Kranjcar has a shot fort Portsmouth but Rob Green saves comfortably in the West Ham goal.

47mins

Defoe and Crouch both see efforts blocked as Portsmouth start the second half the way they ended the first, Kranjcar takes another corner but it comes to nothing.

46mins

Julien Faubert replaced Lucas Neill at half time.

46mins

The second half is underway, I'm hoping the second half is as good as the first - this has been a real Christmas cracker (I'm sorry I had to that) so far.

45mins

Half-Time: PORTSMOUTH 1-1 WEST HAM.

45mins

Craig Bellamy fires wide from close range for West Ham.

45mins

Mark Noble is booked for dissent.

45mins

It's all go now, Lucas Neill brought down Peter Crouch in the box and Jermain Defoe stepped up to take the penalty but he missed the target against his old club.

45mins

Kranjcar takes a corner in frst half stoppage time but West Ham clear.

44mins

Marc Wilson is booked for a foul on Craig Bellamy. The first yellow card of the game goes to the home side.

43mins

Noble has a go for West Ham from the edge of the box but Hughes blocks.

40mins

James catches Cole's cross, decent catch from England's number one there.

38mins

Upson clears Belhadj's cross for a corner, Kranjcar takes but Davenport clears for West Ham.

36mins

Crouch has a shot from just insider the area, its a wild one and it clears the crossbar.

33mins

Defoe has a shot which Upson blocks, but the ball comes back to Davis who fires an effort goalwards forceing a decent save from Rob Green.

31mins

End to end stuff here, Pompey move forward and Peter Crouch gets a shot in from Little's cross but it's an easy save for Rob Green.

30mins

Carlton Cole has a glorious opportunity to put the visitors ahead but his shot from 12 yards is blocked by Distin.

28mins

Defoe has an effort from the edge of the box for Pompey but it's way off target.

25mins

Little takes a corner for Portsmouth but West Ham clear easily.

20mins

PORSTMOUTH 1-1 WEST HAM: COLLISON equalises for the away side after being set up by Cole, he was just inside the area and it was a powerful shot past David james.

16mins

Kranjcar takes a shot from about 25-yeards out but Lucas Neill gets a block in for the Hammers, Kranjcar takes the resulting corner but Noble clears.

13mins

Great chance for West Ham, Noble's corner is met by Davenport but his header is way off target - he should have done better there, it could easily be 1-1.

13mins

Bellamy swings a cross in but Wilson blocks for Pompey. This is turning into a decent game and I can see a few more goals in this.

9mins

West Ham try to get back on level terms straigh away, Distin blocks Collison's effort which results in a corner, Noble takes the corner but it's cleared.

8mins

PORTSMOUTH 1-0 WEST HAM: The home side take an early lead, Peter Crouch set up BELHADJ who scores from the edge of the penalty box, decent finish.

5mins

Portsmouth win a corner which Kranjcar takes, but Davenport makes a decent clearance for West Ham.

3mins

Quite scrappy play in these opening stages, Defoe and Davis have both given away free kicks but they've come to nothing for West Ham.

1mins

Sol Campbell brings down Collison and concedes a free-kick. Bellamy has a shot from the free-kick but his attempt is poor.

1mins

It's underway at Fratton Park.

0mins

Bellamy has been linked with a move to Spurs today, he still starts for West Ham though. Portsmouth boss Tony Adams will be hoping for a better performance than his players gave at Bolton last week, they were two down inside 5 minutes.

0mins

WEST HAM: Green, Neill, Davenport, Upson, Ilunga, Collison, Noble, Parker, Behrami, Cole, Bellamy SUBS: Lastuvka, Boa Morte, Mullins, Collins, Faubert, Tristan, Di Michelle

0mins

PORTSMOUTH: James, Wilson, Campbell, Distin, Belhadj, Little, Davis, Hughes, Kranjcar, Crouch, Defoe SUBS: Ashdown, Hreidarsson, Diop, Nugent, Pamarot, Kanu, Traore

Match Preview

West Ham United travel south to face Portsmouth on Friday with both teams looking to end dismal recent runs and pick up a first December win in the league.

Pompey have lost to Bolton and Newcastle while drawing with rock-bottom West Brom in their last three league games, although a convincing 3-0 UEFA Cup win over Heerenveen gave them a mid-December boost.

The disruption of the looming January transfer window continues to take its toll on the club, although the confirmed sale of influential midfielder Lassana Diarra to Real Madrid for £20million has helped end some of the speculation.

Manager Tony Adams will fear similarly 'exceptional' bids could succeed in January, with Jermain Defoe and David James, amongst others, likely to create a certain amount of interest.

Already veteran defender Sol Campbell has felt the need to speak out about the disruption, saying: "I think there are a lot of things behind the scenes with the club that need to be resolved."

The resolution to the Diarra transfer will rule the defensive midfielder out of any further matches until his sale to Real goes through in January, leaving Richard Hughes and Sean Davis in central midfield.

Meanwhile, Pompey continue to monitor the fitness of Glen Johnson, John Utaka and Younes Kaboul. All three have minor knocks but, if available, Johnson will replace Noe Pamarot and Utaka - goalless this season - could be used instead of Arnold Mvuemba in midfield.

West Ham continue to be frustrated by the absence of midfielder Kieron Dyer, who has only played twice for the club since a £7million move to east London 18 months ago.

The controversial former England international broke his leg in 2007 and then, after returning to full fitness this month, has been struck down by a virus that could force him to sit out the rest of 2008.

Defenders Danny Gabbidon and James Collins also appear likely to miss out with groin and calf problems respectively, while Dean Ashton is close to a return from an ankle problem, although he is unlikely to play until early January.


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Match Report

Craig Bellamy fired a superb double to help West Ham United secure an impressive first ever Premier League win over Portsmouth as they beat Tony Adams' ailing side 4-1.

The transfer target for London rivals Spurs struck twice in the last 20 minutes to seal victory for Gianfranco Zola's team.

Tricky striker Bellamy deserved his two goals as sorry Portsmouth were put to the sword. Carlton Cole also netted as did Jack Collison as Pompey fell apart.

Portsmouth have only kept one clean sheet in the league since Adams was named boss and they had an early scare.

Bellamy was brought down just outside the box by Sol Campbell's clumsy challenge. The Welshman put his free-kick over the wall but it also went well over the bar after failing to dip.

However, Portsmouth took the lead in the eighth minute when left-back Nadir Belhadj capped off a superb move with the opening goal.

England international Peter Crouch nodded a cross to strike partner Jermain Defoe who pulled the ball back for Belhadj to fire home from 15 yards.

Both sides looked great going forward but shaky at the back and West Ham deservedly equalised after 20 minutes.

Scott Parker took a quick free-kick to Cole who crossed from the byline to Collison. The midfielder fired the ball through two defenders with David James unsighted.

West Ham then should have taken the lead after a comedy of errors in the Pompey defence. Glen Little attempted to pass the ball back to James but Bellamy nipped in and found Mark Noble.

The midfielder curled the ball goalwards but Sylvain Distin got back to head clear.

Pompey wasted an opportunity to take the lead two minutes before the break when Defoe missed a penalty against his former club. Referee Steve Bennett pointed to the spot after Lucas Neill had pushed Crouch over but Defoe fired wide of the left-hand post.

Bellamy set up Cole who fired the Hammers into a 67th minute lead and they made it 3-1 three minutes later when Bellamy smashed home his third of the season.

The striker added a fourth with seven minutes left as Pompey were put to the sword by a rampant West Ham side.

Adams only has two wins in 11 games since taking over from Harry Redknapp and the pressure is now on him as his side slide down the table.

Portsmouth

West Ham United

Corners

95

Fouls

149

Goal attempts

2316

Shots off target

86

Offsides

06

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