Source: Northern_Echo
Portsmouth 2 Sunderland 1
Portsmouth 2 Sunderland 1[LNB] AFTER last weekend's seven-goal humiliation at Chelsea, Steve Bruce promised his Sunderland players would produce one hell of a performance[LNB] at Portsmouth.[LNB] By full-time at Fratton Park, the Black Cats had been as good as their manager's word.[LNB] Hellish' is certainly one way to describe a display that, in its own way, was as demoralising and distressing as the surrender at Stamford Bridge.[LNB] When Sunderland capitulated at the hands of Chelsea, they could at least point to excuses.[LNB] A host of senior players were missing, they were forced to field a midfielder at centre-half, and their rampant opponents produced arguably the best Premier League performance of the season.[LNB] Seven days on, there were no such mitigating factors.[LNB] Faced with the side at the bottom of the top-flight, a team battling against off-field problems so great they could yet lead to administration before the end of the month, Sunderland were unable to reach the fifth round of the FA Cup for the first time since 2004.[LNB] To make matters worse, they surrendered in the meekest manner imaginable, with a lack of urgency and spirit matching the lack of defensive application that contributed directly to both goals.[LNB] Leading through Darren Bent's 15th-minute strike, a side missing just two players who could realistically be described as first choice' failed to record another shot on target until the final minute.[LNB] Pompey's players displayed a commitment and resolve that was impossible to discern in the away side's ranks.[LNB] Prior to kick-off, hundreds of Portsmouth fans staged an emotional protest at their club's precarious financial and footballing position. By the full-time whistle, however, it was the 1,000-or-so supporters housed in the away section who were asking all the questions.[LNB] Has any progress been made since the same stage of last season, when Sunderland were also out of both cup competitions and a place higher in the league[LNB] Can Steve Bruce make enough changes this month to arrest a slide that has now seen the Black Cats record just two victories in their last 15 matches in all competitions, one of which one was against Blue Square Premier side Barrow[LNB] And is a season that started with such promise destined to end in yet another unseemly battle against the drop[LNB] It's been a difficult December and January, after a wonderful start to the season,[LNB] conceded Bruce, who could see his side slip even closer to the bottom three if they fail to improve markedly at Everton on Wednesday night.[LNB] We just need something to kick-start things and get us going again. We're getting four or five players back now, and we must make sure they help us turn the corner. Once we do that, we'll be okay.[LNB] Four players returned on Saturday, with Craig Gordon, Michael Turner and Kieran Richardson all restored to the starting line-up, and Andy Reid emerging from the bench for the final 17 minutes.[LNB] Alarmingly, it made precious little difference. Sunderland were every bit as bad as they had been one weekend earlier, it was just that Portsmouth were vastly inferior to Chelsea and therefore incapable of exploiting weaknesses to the full.[LNB] Those weaknesses were apparent in all departments and, apart from shooting themselves in the foot, it is hard to think of anything that the Black Cats have been doing well in recent weeks.[LNB] In attack, they are completely reliant on Bent, who claimed his 15th goal of a hugely productive season courtesy of a perfectly-timed run ahead of Anthony Vanden Borre and a crisp volleyed finish following Turner's headed flick.[LNB] While Bent continues to justify his club-record fee, the rest of Sunderland's strikers have contributed one goal in 13 Premier League matches.[LNB] David Healy was unfortunate to see a close-range effort cleared off the line in stoppage time, but Bruce must resolve the Kenwyne Jones dilemma one way or the other in the next seven days.[LNB] It's been a difficult week for him, said the boss. We had a conversation with him on Friday, and I thought he did okay, but no more.[LNB] Sunderland's midfield is not functioning effectively either and, on Saturday, the Wearsiders lacked both the vision required to unlock a far-fromwatertight Pompey defence and the steel needed to repel their opponents at the opposite end.[LNB] David Meyler and Jordan Henderson might be extremely promising prospects, but at such an early stage of their development, they cannot be expected to out-perform seasoned Premier League midfielders week after week.[LNB] Yet for all of their shortcomings in midfield and attack, it is in defence where Sunderland are creaking most.[LNB] Both Portsmouth goals were catastrophic from a Black Cats perspective, with Gordon, Phil Bardsley, Turner and Paulo Da Silva all culpable.[LNB] John Utaka out-muscled Bardsley to reach Marc Wilson's long punt for the first, and with Gordon trapped in no-man's land, the Ghanaian's header looped beyond the stranded shot-stopper and trickled into the net.[LNB] Pompey's second was just as bad, with Younes Kaboul heading Gordon's clearance back into Sunderland's half, and Utaka outpacing both Turner and Da Silva before clinically slotting home.[LNB] Bruce has already signed one defender this month, and after sitting out Saturday's game because he was cup-tied, Matt Kilgallon is expected to make his debut at Goodison Park.[LNB] Further defensive reinforcements remain likely, and after travelling to France to watch Rod Fanni last week, Bruce is expected to step up his pursuit of the Rennes right-back in the next 48 hours.[LNB] Habib Beye remains an alternative option, but the former Newcastle defender's wage demands are proving problematic.[LNB] Defensively, we've been giving too much away, admitted Bruce. It was schoolboy stuff really, and it's hard enough to keep the ball out of your net without conceding hopeless goals like those.[LNB] We've strengthened in that area with the signing of Matt, and I'm sure he'll come in and help us out. But we still hope that, before the window closes, we can strengthen in that part of the field again.[LNB] With the injuries to the likes of (Nyron) Nosworthy and (Anton) Ferdinand, we're very short of defensive options.[LNB] We're chipping away at various different things, and we're hoping to make progress.[LNB] Stoke's FA Cup victory over Arsenal means Sunderland's home game with the Potters is now confirmed for Monday, February 1 (8pm).[LNB] Match facts Goals:[LNB] 0-1: Bent (15mins, volleyed in after Turner flicked on Zenden's throw)[LNB] 1-1: Utaka (42, out-muscled Bardsley to head past Gordon)[LNB] 2-1: Utaka (58, galloped on to Kaboul's header from Gordon's clearance and slotted home)[LNB] Bookings:[LNB] Utaka (28mins, ungentlemanly conduct), Richardson (28, ungentlemanly conduct)[LNB] Referee: Peter Walton (Long Buckby) Allowed the occasional errant tackle to go unpunished in an effort to maintain the game's flow 6[LNB] Attendance: 10,315[LNB] Entertainment: [LNB] PORTSMOUTH (4-5-1):[LNB] Begovic 6; Vanden Borre 5, Kaboul 6, Wilson 7, Hreidarsson 6; Boateng 6, Mokoena 5, Brown 5 (Basinas 9mins, 6), Diop 6 (Mullins 69, 5), UTAKA 8; Piquionne 6 (Webber 90). Subs (not used): Ashdown (gk), Sowah.[LNB] SUNDERLAND (4-4-2):[LNB] 4 Gordon: Excellent save from Boateng but at fault for Pompey's first[LNB] 4 Bardsley: Far too weak when Utaka out-jumped him to break the deadlock[LNB] 5 Turner: Commitment couldn't be questioned, but failed to impose himself[LNB] 4 Da Silva: At fault for Utaka's second and beaten far too easily regularly[LNB] 4 Richardson: Error-strewn display and looks anything but a natural at left-back[LNB] 5 Henderson: Displayed plenty of effort but quality of his passing let him down[LNB] 6 Meyler: Sunderland's strongest player before the break[LNB] 4 Cana: One of the skipper's least impressive displays tackling lacked usual bite 5 Zenden: Saw plenty of the ball but failed to produce a really telling pass[LNB] 4 Jones: Perhaps inevitably, played like someone whose mind was elsewhere[LNB] 6 BENT: Took his goal well - where would Sunderland be if he hadn't signed[LNB] Subs:[LNB] Reid (for Meyler, 73mins)[LNB] Campbell (for Jones, 81)[LNB] Healy (for Bardsley, 86)[LNB] (not used):[LNB] Carson (gk), Malbranque, Murphy, R Noble.[LNB] MAN OF THE MATCH[LNB] JOHN Utaka The Ghanaian's £80,000-a-week might be one of the reasons Pompey are in a mess, but Saturday's performance at least ensured them a place in the fifth round of the cup.[LNB]
