Vaughan hat-trick keeps Pompey bottom

14 September 2010 22:30
James Vaughan's sparkling treble breathed new life into Crystal Palace's season and left Portsmouth rooted to the foot of the npower Championship after a 4-1 defeat. The 22-year-old Palace striker, making his home debut after joining on loan from Everton, bagged his first career hat-trick as the home side got back to winning ways after four straight defeats. Pompey did at least manage to hit their second league goal of the season, courtesy of some comical Palace defending which let in new signing Dave Kitson to cancel out Vaughan's opener, but Vaughan struck twice more in the second half and Neil Danns added a penalty to leave Pompey, who remain in administration, still searching for their first win. Vaughan turned in a flash to lash a 14th-minute shot past Jamie Ashdown and into the top corner, but Pompey were gifted the equaliser when Palace goalkeeper Julian Speroni came charging out to collect a long clearance, but Anthony Gardner clearly did not see or hear him coming and nodded the ball over the Argentinian, allowing Kitson to fire into an empty net. Nine minutes into the second half Vaughan raced onto Alex Marrow's pass over the top, got to the ball just before Ashdown and expertly lifted it over the keeper and completed his hat-trick four minutes later after Danns nodded Paddy McCarthy's cross into his path. And nine minutes from time, Danns was felled by Michael Brown and, having waved away Vaughan's attempts to take the spot-kick, smashed the ball past Ashdown for the fourth.

Source: PA