Portsmouth cruised into the third round of the Carling Cup with a 4-1 home victory over Hereford United. The hosts took the lead mid-way through the first-half when Frederic Piquionne struck whilst soon after John Utaka doubled the lead. A third goal from Nico Kranjcar put the game beyond doubt towards the end of the first-half before Richard Hughes hammered in early in the second period. The Bulls’ fans had something to shout about towards the end of the game when a soft penalty was awarded, which Tristan Plummer converted.
Despite the 1-0 loss to Crewe at the weekend, and the availability of Ryan Valentine, John Trewick opted to keep the same team which included youngster Craig Jones starting on left-wing. Pompey fielded a fairly strong team, including loan signings Anthony Vanden Borre and Piquionne, whilst there was also a host of Premiership experience in Younes Kaboul and Aaron Mokoena.
Portsmouth’s first chance of the game fell to Utaka when a deep Kranjcar free-kick was headed back into the danger area by Kaboul, and Utaka attacked the ball but his powerful head fell past the post. Adam Bartletet showed his credentials when a ball over the Hereford back-line was controlled by Piquionne, but his initial shot was well stopped with a strong hand whilst a follow up effort was superbly blocked by Bartlett again. Soon after, Bartlett made another fine double save to deny Piquionne although the linesman had raised his flag for offside. At the other end, a cross from the right by Ryan Green was controlled by Plummer, and he turned inside the box but saw his flying shot stopped by a defensive block. The hosts provided a warning to Hereford when Piquionne again threatened, coming in on the left, the striker on loan from Lyon went past Darren Jones as if he wasn’t there and struck a powerful shot against the post.
United didn’t have the luck of the woodwork minutes later when Piquionne scored from a similar position. A break from the back saw Kranjcar find the Frenchman, and he fired through the legs of the defender and into the net from a wide left position inside the box. Minutes later, Pompey were celebrating a second soon after the opener when another break down the left saw Piquionne drift out of his central position and he expertly picked out Utaka, who side-footed home from eight yards. An overlapping run on the right from Vanden Borre saw him smash a shot from a tight angle past the near-post, whilst his defensive duties were suspect, as a long diagonol ball from Green wasn’t cleared by the Belgium international and C. Jones bought the ball down before shooting goal wards but his shot was pushed away by ‘keeper Asmir Begovic. Pompey added a third just before half-time when Kranjcar picked the ball up inside the Hereford half and he moved goal wards, unchallenged, before unleashing a powerful shot which beat Bartlett at his near-post, despite the ‘keeper getting a decent hand to it.
At half-time, Jamie Tolley replaced Kenny Lunt and Paul Hart bought on David Nugent for Utaka. Leon Constantine had a good opportunity to pull a goal back when he met a Glen Southam corner, but he took his eye of it and the contact which saw the ball diverted over the bar was made with his shoulder. Pompey made it 4-0 when a pass into the feet of the striker was closed down by D. Jones, but it fell to Hughes whose first-time shot from 20 yards beat Bartlett with its sheer power. Hereford, sporting their orange kit for the first-time, gave reward to the travelling fans when Andy D’Urso awarded a dubious penalty decision. Southam’s nut-meg and through ball was chased down by Plummer, and he went in for a challenge with Begovic; the ‘keeper cleanly won the ball but D’Urso awarded a penalty in front of the away supporters. Plummer took it, and despite Begovic going the right-way and getting something on the ball, it ended up in the back of the net.
Nwankwo Kanu replaced Piquionne for Portsmouth but it was the Bulls who were pressing with a quick-free kick into Plummer, allowing the Bristol City loanee to find Constantine, who sent a shot into the arms of Begovic. Kranjcar’s placed shot was off-target, after he was set up by Nugent whilst at the other end, a switch of play from Plummer found Godsmark, who went close to the top far corner with a powerful effort.
Sam Gwynne came on for Southam late on, to add a little bite to the Hereford midfield whilst Gautier Mahoto replaced Hughes for Portsmouth. Marlon Jackson was also bought on for United, replacing Godsmark, who appeared to have tired. Nugent should have made it 5-1 when through on goal but his shot was straight at Bartlett. Kanu toyed with the Hereford defence on the left-hand side, and eventually composed himself to pick out Mahoto inside the area who saw a close-range effort parried by Bartlett. Mahoto then flashed a shot past the far post after playing to the crowd’s shouts of shoot whilst in stoppage-time, a deep cross from C. Jones was guided goal wards by Constantine at the back-post but his effort went over the bar.
Few fans out of the 6,645 attendance would have truthfully thought United could have come to Fratton Park and pulled off a huge shock. It’s a case of the same old, same old though as Hereford’s failure to close-down in midfield and defence caused their downfall in the game. A midfield pairing of Gwynne and Lunt may be the way forward, with the local lad doing the hard-work allowing Lunt to show his full potential when on the ball. Next up for Hereford is the visit of Port Vale on Saturday.
Hereford: Bartlett, Green, D. Jones, Dennehy, Rose, Godsmark, Lunt, Southam, C. Jones, Constantine, Plummer.
Subs: Adamson, Valentine, Lowe, Tolley, Gwynne, Done, Jackson
Portsmouth: Begovic, Vanden Borre, Ward, Kaboul, Belhadj, Basinas, Mokoena, Kranjcar, Hughes, Utaka, Piquionne.
Subs: Ashdown, Hurst, Mullins, Richie, Mahoto, Nugent, Kanu.