Source: Daily_Mail
Burnley 1 Portsmouth 2: Yebda's spot kick give doomed Pompey some relief
Crisis-hit Portsmouth put their off-field woes behind them to winonly their second away game in the Barclays Premier League in the last16 months. [LNB]Pompey yesterday became the first top-flight club to enter intoadministration, but the players rolled up their sleeves to add toBurnley's own relegation fears. [LNB] [LNB] Level pegging: Burnley's Martin Paterson (centre) celebrates with team mate Steven Fletcher[LNB] [LNB]Although Martin Paterson equalised Frederic Piquionne's opener inthe first half, Hassan Yebda grabbed the winner from the spot 15minutes from time for the visitors who ended the game with 10 men whenRicardo Rocha was dismissed late on. [LNB]At present Portsmouth stand five points from safety, but that willbecome 14 when the Premier League board ratify a nine-point deductionthat comes with administration.[LNB] With only 33 to play for, Avram Grant's side are staring relegationin the face, and the Clarets will likely join them on the basis of thisdisplay. [LNB]Portsmouth were undoubtedly the more forthright side during theopening exchanges, and deserved their lead when it came in the 25thminute. [LNB]Prior to that the industrious Danny Webber had dragged one effortwide when well placed after Leon Cort had inadvertently steered anattempted through-ball from Quincy Owusu-Abeyie into the striker'spath. [LNB]Pompey had the ball in the back of the net soon after butcelebrations were caught in the throats of their faithful followers asWebber was marginally offside in steering home at the near post aleft-wing cross from Nadir Belhadj. [LNB]Any thoughts it was going to be another of those afternoons at thatstage were then swiftly dispelled when Piquionne made it two goals insuccessive games.[LNB] Webber again played his part, albeit dragging another shot that washeading two yards wide until on-loan Lyon forward Piquionne steered theball home at the far post, prompting an optimistic chorus of 'We arestaying up.' [LNB] [LNB] French fancy: Portsmouth's Frederic Piquionne opens the scoring[LNB]However, Portsmouth would not be bottom of the table but for their defensive fragility, and it duly reared its head in the 31st minute, their lead lasting just six minutes. [LNB]From Brian Jensen's long goal-kick, Steven Fletcher appeared to faintly flick the ball on into the area where an awaiting Paterson superbly lifted it over David James who was rooted to his six-yard line.[LNB] Anybody expecting Portsmouth to crumble after that were again sorely mistaken as they could have headed into the interval having restored their lead. [LNB]The unfortunate O'Hara, however, was denied by the left-hand post after delightfully beating Jensen from 20 yards with a left-foot curler delivered with his instep. [LNB]Pouncing on the rebound, Webber cracked a half-volley goalwards, but was thwarted by the bravery of Danny Fox who threw his body in the way to block. [LNB]O'Hara then wasted a golden opportunity to restore his side's lead in the 55th minute when Clarets captain Clarke Carlisle was made to look none too clever. [LNB]Carlisle appeared on Channel 4's Countdown in midweek, winning two games, which light-heartedly led to his name on the team sheet being jumbled up, akin to the conundrum part of the programme. [LNB]But Carlisle's challenge just inside the area and with Piquionne running away from goal was a needless one, leaving Mark Clattenburg with an easy decision. [LNB] Get in: Hassan Yebda (left) scores the winner from the spot[LNB]On-loan Spurs midfielder O'Hara then took on the responsibility, and although his left-foot spot-kick was firm enough, Jensen was the hero by diving the right way and blocking with his body.[LNB] It was a let-off Burnley should have punished five minutes later with a breakaway move down the right wing involving Elliott and Paterson. [LNB]Paterson's delivery into the heart of the area was a piercing one, picking out an unmarked Fletcher who was left with his head in his hands after heading over from five yards. [LNB]Fletcher's embarrassment, however, was nothing to that of Carlisle who gave away a second penalty in the 75th minute, tugging on the shirt of substitute John Utaka after he had lost the ball inside his own area, earning himself a booking in the process. [LNB] Sheer joy: John Portsmouth Football Club Westwood - his real name - celebrates a rare away win for the doomed club[LNB]This time it was another of Pompey's on-loan players in Benfica midfielder Yebda who stepped up, sending Jensen the wrong way for only his second goal for the club, and first since October 3.[LNB] The home side naturally dominated the closing stages as they went in search of a second equaliser, a task made easier in the first of four minutes of injury time when Rocha was sent for two bookable offences. [LNB]But despite bombarding the Pompey area, James was never troubled, leaving Burnley with a miserable record that has now seen them win just one of their last 16 league matches. [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
