Source: Daily_Mail
Coventry 1 Portsmouth 2 (AET): Mokoena lifts the gloom for Pompey
Two days ago Portsmouth captain Aaron Mokoena criticised the club's absentee owner Ali Al Faraj and claimed the situation over players' unpaid wages was 'destabilising'. [LNB]On Tuesday night in this FA Cup replay he led by example, and his fighting spirit was rewarded when he headed home substitute Angelos Basinas's right-wing corner in the last minute of extra time to secure a fourth-round home tie against Sunderland on January 23. [LNB]Mokoena, nicknamed 'The Axe', said: 'It was very important that we won this game so we can build from it. We needed it badly. They made it difficult in Portsmouth and they did here too. But we showed we're professionals and a Premier League club.' [LNB] Something to shout about: Portsmouth's Aaron Mokoena celebrates his winner[LNB]With Leon Best's sumptuous first-half strike separating two evenlymatched sides, it had appeared that the Sky Blues were about to becomethe second Championship club in successive seasons to end Pompey'shopes in a competition they won just 20 months ago. But as any Coventryfan will tell you, glorious failure is something of a recurring theme. [LNB]They won the FA Cup 23 years ago with an own goal. And last nightthe boot was on the other foot as Portsmouth profited in the dyingseconds of normal time to ensure the extra half-hour. [LNB]Basinas swung what was no more than a hopeful ball to the farpost.It was nodded into the danger zone and both Clinton Morrison andStephen Wright, in their eagerness to clear, got in each other's way.The latter nodded the ball over keeper Kieren Westwood and off theunderside of the crossbar into the net. It was the decisive moment. [LNB]As penalties loomed ever closer, Pompey's doggedness was rewardedwhen Mokoena found himself unmarked to head home Basinas's corner.[LNB] Close call: Clinton Morrison of Coventry attempts to go round Portsmouth keeper Asmir Begovic[LNB] It was hard on Coventry, who had been on the receiving end duringextra time, but in the face of all their troubles, Grant's men have tobe applauded for sticking to the task in hand.[LNB] However, if Best's strike had been the winner, there could havebeen little complaint from the visitors in a game where chances were ata premium. But, given the dire mess the club are in - it appearsuncertain who is calling the shots these days - any welcome news shouldbe seized upon. [LNB]Indeed, Grant was unable even to fill the bench with the requisitenumber of replacements, resisting the opportunity to extend theexperience of one of his youngsters. [LNB]The paucity of action at either end of the pitch rendered it difficult to judge whether the equaliser was merited. [LNB] Wrong way: Stephen Wright heads past his own keeper Keiren Westwood[LNB]However, there was no disguising the quality of Best's goal. Hismanager, Chris Coleman, has publicly questioned the forward'scommitment as his goals have dried up during the past six weeks. [LNB]The forward has been the subject of fevered transfer speculationafter he refused to sign a new contract with the Sky Blues. Whether thefact that he is a free agent and without gainful employment come theend of June has had any effect on his goalscoring return is debateable.[LNB]Prior to last night, he had failed to score in his previous eightgames, but there was no sign of any problem when he found the netmidway through the opening half. [LNB]It was as sweet a strike as you will see. The move started in innocuous fashion. A long puntdownfield by Kieren Westwood was headed up into the air by a Pompeydefender. Michael McIndoe next contested the loose ball and when itlanded again Best was onto it, swivelling on his left foot and drivingthrough a cluster of black shirts and into the corner of the net from25 yards. [LNB]At the other end, Kevin-Prince Boateng twice tried his luck from anacute angle on the left. And twice Westwood used his legs to block. [LNB]But there were no other clear-cut chances until the late drama. In the additional half-hour, the Barclays Premier League's bottom club grew in confidence and should have put the tie to bed.[LNB]Substitute John Utaka had made a noticeable difference to Pompey'sthreat in attack but it was another replacement, Danny Webber who wasdenied scoring the match winner when he found himself with onlyWestwood to beat. [LNB]Grant said: 'After the penalty in Moscow (John Terry's miss in the 2008 Champions League final), I don't feel lucky, no. But I never thought the game had gone. Everyoneknows the problems we have. I'm very proud of those players tonight. Everyone needs to learn that in football you need to keep fighting and fighting.'[LNB]Coleman, conceding that his players were 'devastated', said: 'To lose like that is difficult to take. It's a bitter pill to swallow.[LNB]'Their second goal we failed to pick up. That was tired minds and tired bodies. Portsmouth haven't played for 10 days and it showed late on.'[LNB] Portsmouth reject Sunderland's bid of £5m plus Anton Ferdinand for Younes KaboulSol Campbell back in an Arsenal shirt - the pictures Gunners fans never thought they would seeFormer Portsmouth chairman Milan Mandaric charged with cheating the public revenue[LNB] [LNB]
