FT: Portsmouth 1 Birmingham 2

Jerome and Benitez were the heroes for the Blues as they exacted revenge for Saturday's FA Cup exit. Thank you for staying tuned, until the next time.

Full-time. Portsmouth 1 Birmingham 2.

O'Hara whips in from the right and Kanu glances in from close range. Surely no more than a consolation...?

90 GOAL - Kanu scores for Portsmouth!!!

90 Super save from Hart as Dindane finally calls him into action. The young keeper was at full stretch as he tipped over.

86 Portsmouth's night is summarised in one instance as Kanu passes to no-one. And I mean no-one. He simply rolled the ball out of play.

84 The clock is fast ticking down for Pompey. After a bright start, they have looked very toothless.

81 Excellent save low down from James after McFadden looked to squeeze in a strike at the near post.

79 Benitez is replaced by McFadden.

78 Booking for Belhadj as he slides horribly into Larsson. Could have been red.

76 Michel is replaced by Larsson.

75 Pompey are flinging cross after cross into the box but Johnson and Dann will deal with those all day.

71 Pompey have the ball in a high area of the field but the box is filled with white shirts, meaning there is no way through for the home team.

69 It is Birmingham who actually look like scoring the next goal, despite Grant's attacking changes. Jerome is eager for his hat-trick.

67 Birmingham are looking so comfortable. Their defence needs to be tested more if Pompey are to find any way back into the game.

64 One last throw of the dice for Grant as Kanu comes on for Brown.

59 Belhadj finally puts some quality into the box but there is no-one on the end of the teasing cross.

58 It is just not happening for Pompey, with the Blues not at all tested at the back.

56 Should be 3-0 and game over. Jerome is free in the centre, waiting to complete hi hat-trick, but the cross from the left is not precise enough.

54 Hart has looked pretty assured when dealing with crosses so far. His claiming has been authoritative.

52 Owusu-Abeyie has a dig at goal but the strike is deflected away off Gardner. There are a few appeals for a penalty due to a handball, but it is not given. Meanwhile, Tainio is on for the injured Parnaby.

50 Little impact from the subs as yet, with the game a little flat so far in this second half.

48 Grant is certainly going for it judging by those subs. Let's see if it makes any difference.

46 Birmingham get the second period under way. There are two changes, with Wilson and Webber off and Basinas and Owusu-Abeyie on.

Danny Cain is delighted with Birmingham's first-half display, and I am not surprised. In other news, I just got chronic cramp in the back of my right thigh and had to jump and and hobble about looking like a right loon in the press box. Funny looks all round.

An eventful half with the striking partnership of Benitez and Jerome the undoubted difference. That said, Pompey have been poor at the back and could do with their own Johnson-Dann partnership, as the pair have been very solid.

Half-time. Portsmouth 0 Birmingham 2.

45 One minute of added time will be played.

Benitez executes a wonderful backheel to slip Jermoe in, with the striker making no mistake as he slid under James for his second of the game.

42 GOAL - Jerome scores for Birmingham!!!

41 Pompey are pushing for a leveller as they win a succession of corners.

38 Astonishing passage of play. Benitez finds himself clean through as the lineman's flag stays down. He tries to round James but Hreidarsson got back to scramble clear with a last-ditch challenge. A huge let-off for Pompey.

34 Portsmouth put together their best move of the game, which involved a fine switch by Dindane, but the visitors defend it manfully.

32 Booking for Michel for a foul, I think. Can't tell you the full story as a pillar blocks my view of that part of the pitch.

30 Belhadj whips in a cross from the left and O'Hara meets it. But there are many bodies in the way and a deflection appears to take the pace off the shot to allow Hart to save with ease.

28 Almost 2-0 as Gardner sees a wicked shot flash just wide. A tidy move from the visitors, that one.

26 Penalty claim for Pompey as Dindane blasts a ball into Johnson. It may have caught his hand, but would have been very harsh nonetheless. The right call by my reckoning.

24 You probably don't need me to tell you that Portsmouth look most likely to find a way back into this game through Piquionne or O'Hara.

21 Portsmouth's performance has been error-prone since going behind, and the fans are not happy.

19 Benitez is booked for diving. To me, that looked a penalty following a challenge by Hreidarsson.

18 Birmingham will be delighted to have taken their first chance on goal. For Pompey, it is a kick in the teeth following a promising start.

The powerful striker was threaded through inside from just outside the area by Christian Benitez and he turned in on goal before slotting home low past the exposed James.

16 GOAL - Jerome scores for Birmingham!!!

15 Birmingham are working their way into the game, but the overall quality of the passing is not good.

12 Impressive link-up play from Piquionne release Webber, who fails to make the chance pay as his cross is poor.

10 Pompey are certainly on the front foot here, they just need to show a little more composure in the final third.

8 First meaningful shot on target as O'Hara cuts in from the right but fails to generate enough power on his shot to trouble Hart.

6 Groans from the home support after Piquionne is penalised for a foul, despite seemingly battling fairly.

5 Fairly even start here with both sides probing. The home fans are in typically sound voice.

3 Bright start from Pompey as a clever turn from Piquionne sees Dindane cross in from the left. But the ball is headed away from danger.

1 Portsmouth get the game under way, kicking from left to right as I see it.

19.42 The teams are out on the pitch. I would like to take this opportunity to highlight the ridiculously loud PA system here this evening. It is deafening.

19.39 Almost time for the action to get under way. The attendance from the home fans seems a bit thin on the ground at present, but no doubt more will filter in just prior to kick-off. The away end, meanwhile, is well attended by Birmingham support.

19.34 Portsmouth striker Piquionne seems the obvious man to watch this evening following his brace against Birmingham at the weekend. It has even been suggested the attacker could be targeted by the Blues in the summer. But for the time being, Piquionne remains fully focused on Pompey.

19.30 It's a fresh March evening here at Fratton Park. The players are being put through their paces below us hacks here in the press box with kick-off just under 15 minutes away.

19.25 If you fancy a flutter, Sky Bet are offering 6/4 on a home win, 12/5 for a draw and 7/4 on a success for the visitors.

19.22 In spite of all their troubles, Portsmouth players have impressed with their character. But with a nine-point penalty looming, relegation seems a certainty. Nonetheless, a repeat of Saturday's result against tonight's opponents would be most welcome for Pompey. Blues boss Alex McLeish will have other ideas though, as the club look to climb back into eighth place. Your pre-match musings to jamesdall@hotmail.co.uk

19.18 The referee for this evening's game is Michael Jones. The last pre-match fact I need to give you is my email address so that you can send me your thoughts ahead of the clash: jamesdall@hotmail.co.uk.

19.17 Birmingham team: Hart, Parnaby, Johnson, Dann, Ridgewell, Gardner, Ferguson, Michel, Fahey, Jerome, Benitez. Subs: Taylor, Murphy, Larsson, McFadden, Queudrue, Tainio, Jervis.

19.15 Portsmouth team: James, Finnan, Ben-Haim, Hreidarsson, Belhadj, Brown, Wilson, O'Hara, Webber, Piquionne, Dindane. Subs: Ashdown, Mullins, Mokoena, Basinas, Diop, Owusu-Abeyie, Kanu.

19.10 Welcome to our live minute-by-minute commentary of Portsmouth's Premier League meeting with Birmingham.