Source: Daily_Mail
FA CUP LIVE: Portsmouth v Birmingham - all the action from Fratton Park
FULL-TIME: Portsmouth 2 Birmingham 0[LNB]Since going into administration, Pompey have won at Burnley and are now beating Birmingham - a seventh FA Cup semi-final is seconds away and O'Hara should have added a third in stoppage time but missed the ball from six yards.[LNB]85min: SUB - Webber off for Diop for Pompey.[LNB]80min: Wilson gets in a brilliant tackle to deny Jerome from the corner Liam Ridgewell clearly scores but it's not given after James claws the ball out. Shocking decision by officials and Birmingham have every right to feel cheated. [LNB]This on the day that FIFA have ruled out ever using goal-line technology. Good to see football's chiefs are moving with the times as ever. COMING SOON: Solid crossbars.[LNB]78min: Free kick Birmingham from 30 yards. Larsson steps up and sends the ball into Southsea. Terrible effort. [LNB]75: SUB - Benitez on for McFadden for Birmingham.[LNB]75min: Brown's 20-yard shot deflected inches over the bar. Hart catches the corner and clears the ball.[LNB]72: SUB - Phillips on for Fahey as Birmingham look to rescue the game.[LNB]70min: GOAL: Portsmouth 2 Birmingham 0[LNB]O'Hara rolls the ball to Piquionne who weaves his way past the last defender before rifling in his second goal of the game.[LNB] It's there: Frederick Piquionne puts Pompey ahead [LNB]The Pompey chimes are loud and clear now with a Wembley semi-final beckoning - with all the cash that will glean.[LNB]67min: O'Hara gets in a 25-yarder that is excellently saved by Hart low down. From the corner the ball pings around the area and Piquionne stabs it over the line.[LNB]GOAL: Portsmouth 1 Birmingham 0[LNB]63min: Suddenly we have a game. Piquionne has one shot charged down by Johnson and another saved as Pompey strive to avoid a replay.[LNB]60min: Ferguson gets in a great clearance six yards from his own goal when a goal looks imminent. [LNB]Even when something exciting happens - Brum break 60 metres at pace - it's dull and ends in yawns.[LNB]Birmingham have been sucked into the vortex of mediocrity now - even their passes are going astray.[LNB]46min: Please let something happen in this match...[LNB] That was my ball: Portsmouth's John Utaka takes possession away from a distraught Jamie O'Hara [LNB]HALF-TIME: Portsmouth 0 Birmingham 0[LNB]46min: Utaka ends the half as he began it - with a shot - but this one goes a mile over the bar [LNB]43min: Free kick Birmingham 35 yards out after McFadden fouls Brown - it's not properly cleared until 30 headers later.[LNB]After a promising start, this match has become truly dismal. Pompey are posing no threat while Brum want to take six passes where two will do. Portsmouth have lost their last two home quarter-finals 4-1 and 5-1 so they are keen to avoid a repeat - that's clear to see.[LNB]So many shots blocked en route to goal, so many misplaced passes - no wonder Fratton Park is so quiet.[LNB]25min: It does seem to be just a matter of time before Birmingham score - they are dominating and Pompey cannot get the ball away.[LNB]Birmingham look the better side by far now - they are passing well and Jerome is getting behind the defence with his pace.[LNB]18min: Brown is booked for his second spicy clash with Bowyer. It's gonna be a long 72 minutes for him now.[LNB] Stalemate: Sebastian Larsson of Birmingham (rght) and Marc Wilson of Portsmouth joust for possession[LNB]16min: Great move by the Blues ends with Cameron Jerome's low shot pushed wide by David James after great set-up from Bowyer who really should have had a shot himself.[LNB]10min: End to end stuff without much craft - lots of pulling and pushing at free kicks and corners before James McFadden breaks through for Birmingham and sees a shot blocked.[LNB]4min: Looks like Lee Bowyer and Jamie O'Hara are ready for a midfield battle with bite but Bowyer falls victim to a Michael Brown kick and Brum get a free kick. Sebastian Larsson totally wastes it from 30 yards.[LNB]2min: Pompey win a corner after good work from Piquionne but it's cleared.[LNB]15secs: John Utaka's 20-yarder is well saved by Joe Hart as Pompey start at 100mph.[LNB] Keith Alexander RIP: The Portsmouth players join in the applause[LNB]12.30pm: Fratton Park explodes as the players emerge - their fans are incredible and have been for decades. They deserve a lot better than they've got this season.[LNB]But although the club are struggling with their money, their plight has put into perspective by the death of Macclesfield boss Keith Alexander this week - so the minute's applause for him is a great thing to see.[LNB]12.25pm: So here we are, down to the last eight of the FA Cup and 2008 winners Pompey are still in it.[LNB]No money, no Premier League points, no apparent hope - but still in there fighting and three wins from a place in the Europa League.[LNB]In their way today? A Birmingham side who have exceeded all expectations this season and have not once been linked with relegation. They already have their 40 points.[LNB] Cup fever: The fans arrive at Fratton Park today[LNB]But surely the biggest battle of the day is the battle of the keepers, David James and Joe Hart who both believe they should be the last line of defence at the World Cup.[LNB]That's enough small talk - here are the teams.[LNB]Portsmouth: James, Finnan, Ben-Haim, Hreidarsson, Belhadj, Brown, Wilson, O'Hara, Webber, Piquionne, Utaka. Subs: Ashdown, Mullins, Diop, Owusu-Abeyie, Dindane, Kanu, Basinas.[LNB]Birmingham: Hart, Carr, Johnson, Dann, Ridgewell, Larsson, Bowyer, Ferguson, Fahey, McFadden, Jerome. Subs: Taylor, Murphy, Phillips, Benitez, Michel, Parnaby, Gardner.[LNB]Referee: Steve Bennett (Kent)[LNB] BIRMINGHAM CITY FC
