Second half show lifts Portsmouth
Posted on | May 19, 2009 | No Comments
Portsmouth 3 Sunderland 1
John Utaka was Portsmouth’s unlikely hero as he scored once and made the two others in a 3-1 win at Fratton Park in last night’s Premier League encounter. A dire first half gave way to a pulsating second, and once Utaka had brought Pompey level within a minute of Sunderland taking the lead, there was only going to be one winner.
Paul Hart could not be accused of sticking to his much criticised 4-5-1 formation, instead opting to play Kanu in behind the front pair of Crouch and Utaka. It didn’t work, Crouch’s header against the post and across the goal line being Pompey’s only real chance of the half. Instead, Sunderland had most of the possession and were undeniably the better side. Midway through the half, Asmir Begovic, making his debut, produced a smart save with his feet whilst going the wrong way and then smothered the follow up.
But there was little else to excite in a first half punctuated by wayward Pompey passing, crossing, and control. A particularly poor cross behind the goal from Utaka when in receipt of the ball in a good wide position sticks in the mind. The opposite of things to come. As the half drifted, Pompey and Sunderland fans united to muse on the situation in which Alan Shearer and Newcastle United find themselves.
As half time approached, Sunderland should have taken the lead. Kenwyne Jones’s glancing header deserved a goal in truth but instead hit the inside of the post and rolled across the line unconverted in a carbon copy of Crouch’s earlier chance for Pompey.
The second half displayed twin themes of Pompey’s revitalised pace, power and drive, together with poor Sunderland defending. The first was evident as the teams came back out and Kanu and Hughes had been replaced with Kaboul and Traore. Kaboul slotted in at right back allowing Johnson to move further forward but the real impact was seen down the left and up front as Traore ran at the Sunderland defence with intent, and Utaka seemed to revel in a new found freedom. Pompey were playing well, one turbo charged passage of one touch passing ending with a foul on Crouch on the edge of the area. Davis appeared committed and effective, although it looks like he will leave. Don’t go, Sean.
Inevitably, then, Sunderland took the lead. A long, deep, raking cross from Davenport dropped over Sol Campbell’s head and was deftly toched into the far corner by the lurking Jones. Sunderland were safe, then imploded. Pompey’s response was instant. Utaka raced on to a through ball provided courtesy of a Sunderland defender’s headed rebound, and lashed it into the corner under pressure from Davenport.
Then came the strangest incident of the night for those watching Setanta’s coverage. Referee Alan Wiley blew for a penalty as the ball travelled towards the back of the net before deciding to allow the goal. Setanta confidently predicted the chalking off of the goal for a foul by Utaka on Davenport and ruined the rest of the night’s coverage as they tried to justify their confusion. Dear, oh dear. The game moved on without them.
Eight minutes later, Begovic cleared long and high downfield. Ferdinand’s howler allowed the ball to squirm under his foot and Utaka was through. He calmly rounded the keeper and Bardsley, as unsettled by his pace as the rest of the Sunderland defence, finished the job for him as he was about to pull the trigger. Here was a man revitalised. A man who, in his Pompey career so far, had spent long spells on the sidelines and looked ineffective wide on the right when he had played. Not only that, he has recently looked so uninterested as to appear halfway through the exit door. Last week, as he tried to make an impact at Blackburn, he blazed a hopeless late penalty high and wide. Paul Hart, whilst firstly acknowledging the fact that there is continuing uncertainty at Pompey, IF you are to get the job and assuming that Utaka is one of those players whose fate lies more in the club’s hands than his own, he might be worth a go up front in his favoured position! This is something I never thought I would say, even only last week as I watched that penalty soar, and reflected on the time, money, and effort it had taken me to be there.
Sunderland tried to get back in it, Richardson and substitute Cisse working chances around the box. Pompey dealt with it and Sunderland’s finishing needed to be better. With two minutes to go, Utaka again broke free with some neat footwork on the edge of the box and fed Traore. He advanced into the penalty area, and shot left footed, low and hard across the keeper and into the net. Game over. With Arsene Wenger under pressure to deliver proven experience next season, is this another young prospect we can snare? To Paul Hart’s utmost credit, the job has been done, but boy have we missed watching the kind of pace and drive that Traore and Utaka brought to that second half last night!
The icing on the cake, of course was Linvoy’s last minute cameo. He didn’t put a foot wrong and was my man of the match but continuing on a theme, let’s try and make sure he stays. He is the antithesis of everything that has gone wrong this season. Loyalty, a big heart, and a genuine reciprocated affection for the club.
Sunderland now host Chelsea on the last day of the season. They shouldn’t be relegated, but if Newcastle and Hull were both to win, they would need to do the same. I wouldn’t want to be in their position.
Tags: Anton Ferdinand > Armand Traore > Asmir Begovic > Calum Davenport > John Utaka > Kenwyne Jones > Linvoy Primus > Paul Hart > Peter Crouch > Pompey > Portsmouth > Premier League > Setanta > Sunderland
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