Carlisle United 1 Portsmouth 3: match report

22 September 2009 22:14
Paul Hart was granted a stay of execution as Portsmouth manager after his side fought back from a goal behind to defeat League One Carlisle at Brunton Park on Tuesday night. [LNB]Hart looked on course to become the first Premier League managerial casualty of the season after veteran Ian Harte gave Carlisle a second-minute lead to add to Portsmouth's early-season woes. [LNB] Related ArticlesLeeds United 0 Liverpool 1Arsenal 2 West Bromwich Albion 0Nottingham Forest 0 Blackburn 1Peterborough 2 Newcastle 0Sport on televisionHowever, first goals in English football from Ivory Coast striker Aruna Dindane and Belgian international Anthony Vanden Borre and Danny Webber's first for the club ensured Portsmouth a safe passage into the last 16 of the Carling Cup. [LNB]Hart will not be the last manager to roll out the age old cliché that the League Cup is a welcome distraction for a team rooted to the bottom of the table. [LNB]In truth a trip to English football's most northerly outpost was the last thing Portsmouth needed after becoming the first side in Premier League history to lose their opening six matches. [LNB]Many of the 600 travelling supporters that braved the marathon 362-mile journey from the south coast were hoping for a home win to force Portsmouth's controversial new owner Sulaiman Al Fahim to call an end to Hart's tenure. [LNB]Hart sprung a surprise in his pre-match team selection by handing on-loan Lens striker Dindane a debut despite concerns over the Ivory Coast international's fitness. England goalkeeper David James was left out as Hart made seven changes from Saturday's 2-0 defeat at Aston Villa. [LNB]It took less than two minutes for the visiting fans' perverse wish to begin to come to fruition. Portsmouth captain Aaron Mokoena cynically pulled back Carlisle striker Joe Anyinsah and referee Neil Swarbrick had no option but to award a penalty. [LNB]Veteran former Leeds defender Harte was the calmest man inside Brunton Park, sending James's stand-in Asmir Begovic the wrong way and slotting the resulting spot kick into the bottom right corner. [LNB]Hart was subjected to taunts of 'you're getting sacked in the morning' from a delirious home crowd as he stood motionless inside his technical area. [LNB]Portsmouth continued to look vulnerable in defence but Carlisle could not capitalise by claiming a second goal and Dindane repaid Hart's faith in him with a 26th-minute equaliser. [LNB]The visitors were fortunate to be awarded a free kick for a foul on Begovic and John Utaka raced onto the Bosnian's long clearance. Lenny Pidgeley saved Utaka's initial shot but Dindane reacted quickest to side-foot the rebound into an unguarded net. [LNB]The match turned full circle seven minutes later when Danny Webber rose to guide a precision header into Pidgeley's top left corner after Algerian debutant Hassan Yebda had crossed from the left. [LNB]Carlisle began the second half in the same vein as they had started the first and defender Peter Murphy and Anyinsah both sent close from set pieces before Vanden Borre put the game beyond the home side's reach. [LNB]Dindane seized on centre back Danny Livesey's indecision before crossing for Vanden Borre to bundle the ball past a helpless Pidgeley from close range. [LNB]Match details [LNB]Carlisle (4-4-2): Pidgeley; Raven, Livesey (Keogh 73), Murphy (Bridge-Wilkinson 73), Harte; Hurst, Taiwo (Dobie 77), Robson, Thirlwell; Offiong, Anyinsah. Subs: Collin, Horwood, Rothery, Madine.Portsmouth: (4-4-2): Begovic; Vanden Borre, Mokoena, Kaboul, Belhadj; Mullins, Basinas, Utaka, Yebda (Brown 77); Dindane (Kanu 68), Webber (Piquionne 87). Subs: Ashdown, Mahoto, Sowah.Referee: N Swarbrick (Preston).[LNB] 

Source: Telegraph