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| Warming Up At Fratton Park |
Here's a look back:
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 diagonal 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.