Source: Daily_Mail
Burnley 1 Portsmouth 2: Avram Grant laments points penalty as Pompey win
Victorious manager Avram Grant refused to guarantee that he willstay until the end of the season, while his England goalkeeper DavidJames said he would rather take a pay cut than be shown the door. Welcome to the latest instalment of Portsmouth, the soap opera. [LNB] Cool Algerian Hassan Yebda netted Pompey's second spot-kick afterJamie O'Hara's penalty had been saved by Brian 'The Beast' Jensen.On both occasions, Burnley captain Clarke Carlisle was responsible for the offences in the area. [LNB]In the end it didn't matter that Martin Paterson had scored the goalof the game by hooking an instinctive strike over a stranded James.That 31st-minute goal levelled the game after Frederic Piquionne'sdeserved opener - the Frenchman's reward for ghosting to the far postto meet Danny Webber's cross.[LNB] [LNB] Level pegging: Burnley's Martin Paterson (centre) celebrates with team mate Steven Fletcher[LNB] [LNB] Ricardo Rocha was sent off in the dying moments after being shown asecond yellow card, though even that didn't seem to spoil Grant'sspontaneous party, although later he couldn't hide his anger at the waythe wrong people are about to be punished. [LNB]He argued: 'It is easy to take nine points but are they punishingthe right people? I'm not the man to punish and neither are my players.Don't punish people who did nothing wrong." [LNB]But it seems highly likely that the Premier League will deduct nine points this week, and that Portsmouth will be relegated.[LNB] The emotional Grant seemed to want to hug every single Pompey fanwho had shared in the defiant stand here. After the final whistle, heclimbed over advertising boards and almost disappeared into the crowd,in a scene that had the look of a tearful farewell. [LNB] [LNB] French fancy: Portsmouth's Frederic Piquionne opens the scoring[LNB]Grant denied that it was, though when asked whether he would stay atPortsmouth to the end of the season, he replied: 'I can't promiseanything but as long as I'm here I'll fight all the way. I don't evenknow what will happen tomorrow. If I had to walk away, I'd do it. It isnot a decision for now, maybe it was more for January.' [LNB]But it may be a decision for the near future if he doesn't like what the administrator Andrew Andronikou does next. [LNB]The engaging Israeli is understood to be on a salary of £950,000,though he couldn't confirm that he had been paid recently. 'I don'tknow,' he claimed. 'But it's not that I'm working for nothing.' [LNB]Whatever happens, he clearly regarded yesterday as special. 'I wasvery emotional that, despite everything, we won the game, and I wantedto thank all those fans who travelled all that way to support us.'[LNB] Get in: Hassan Yebda (left) scores the winner from the spot[LNB] Portsmouth captain James refused to admit that they are as good asrelegated. 'I want to stay at Portsmouth until the end of the seasonand be part of the most incredible recovery ever. Someone said weneeded 10 wins out of 12 - well there's one of them.' [LNB]James is keen to stay at Fratton Park, and play the games he needsto win a World Cup place with England. But he could be one of theadministrator's targets if he is given the chance outside the transferwindow.[LNB] Asked if he would take a reduction in wages, the 39-year-oldkeeper said: 'I want to play games. If things have to be done in orderfor me to stay in the team, then so be it. I can't speak for the otherplayers, only for me. The importance of Portsmouth outweighs theimportance of any individual.[LNB]'I am happy to stay here and if I need to sit down and talk to the administrator then that it what I will do.'[LNB] Sheer joy: John Portsmouth Football Club Westwood - his real name - celebrates a rare away win for the doomed club[LNB]Ironically,Pompey may have dragged Burnley down with them.[LNB] Manager Brian Laws said: 'Clarke Carlisle made a complete mess of it. He is big enough to apologise, to stand up and be counted. But this doesn't mean the end of our season, even though winning home games was meant to be the foundation for the rest of our campaign. We will carry on fighting.' [LNB]So will Grant and James; though for how long they are allowed to do so remains open to question. [LNB] [LNB] [LNB] [LNB] Portsmouth paupers' crackpot plan for survival after going into administrationPortsmouth docked nine points as administration plunges cash-strapped Premier League towards relegationANDY TOWNSEND'S BOOT ROOM: Will Bridge regret his England snub?BURNLEY FC
