Portsmouth achieved their first-ever Premier League double over Aston Villa after their 2-0 win at Fratton Park.
Villa fail to capitalise on their chances
Portsmouth achieved their first-ever Premier League double over Aston Villa after their 2-0 win at Fratton Park.
A confident Pompey side ensured victory, in front of watching England manager Fabio Capello, moving them above Villa who are also pushing for a European spot.
Jermain Defoe gave the home side the lead after 11 minutes, scoring his fourth goal in his last four appearances against Villa, when his perfectly timed chip over Scott Carson found the back of the net.
An error from Scott Carson in the 38th minute handed Portsmouth their second goal of the game when his clearance came off an unlucky Nigel Reo-Coker.
Both sides finished the game with 10 men after Portsmouth's Sulley Muntari was sent off with nine minutes to go before Olof Mellberg picked up his second yellow in the dying seconds of the game.
Top saves
To make it even worse for Carson, his Villa strikers had a dismal afternoon in front of goal after the West Midlands team dominated the game.
And David James, the 37-year-old who has come back and supplanted him in the England team, pulled off a string of top saves.
James, who took over from Carson in goal for England's first game under Capello against Switzerland, was the first to be tested when Shaun Maloney cut in from the left to fire a low shot in the greasy conditions after just two minutes but the veteran grasped it firmly.
And when Hermann Hreidarsson - switching the centre back in place of injured Sol Campbell - was caught out by a long ball that slipped behind him, James raced off his line to block the threat of Gabriel Agbonlahor with typical bravery two minutes later.
Milan Baros was soon the victim of verbal abuse by the travelling Villa fans but proved a lively threat, getting the better of Wilfred Bouma to earn a free-kick just outside the area on the right.
It was cleared, but soon afterwards Pompey went ahead with a another magnificent goal by the brilliant Defoe - his sixth in six games.
Glen Johnson's long ball forward gave the tiny striker the drop of Martin Laursen and Zat Knight and although they both recovered the round to converge on him just inside the corner of the box he simply chipped over the advancing Carson to land, one bounce, in the empty net.
When Villa struck back James was alert to turn the ball away from a corner after John Carew rose to head on a free-kick by Ashley Young and almost found the late run of unmarked Agbonlahor.
James, 37, caught the resultant flag-kick and bowled it out to the half way line and when it was helped on Baros got in ahead of the Villa defenders to bring a smart save from Carson after 18 minutes.
Retaliation
Villa's fierce retaliation brought a couple of corners on the right with Pompey's Papa Bouba Diop needing treatment after heading away Gareth Barry's inswinger, perilously near to an upright.
But Carson's next touch left them stunned. Defoe was on the chase again with Bouma for a through-ball and although Carson got there ahead of both of them, Reo-Coker was in the wrong place at the wrong time.
Shots by Carew and Young which finished off target when they should have done better summed up a dismal fist half for Villa.
Five minutes after the break Barry's pass put Maloney in on the left to steer a low cross beyond James' grasp but Agbonlahor, who has not scored for nine games somehow steered it wide of the gaping goal from five yards.
And when Marlon Harewood came on for Maloney his first action was spurning another fine chance created by Barry, the finish again wide of the mark from close range, before James excelled with a plunging save to deflect Young's curling free-kick.
Niko Kranjcar should have wrapped it up for Pompey, despite Villa's mounting possession. Baros, on the break, set him up with a clear shot but he screwed it wide in the 69th minute.
Muntari had to march after a second yellow card, a challenge from behind substitute Moustapha Salifou after a petty foul on Reo-Coker in the first half.
Then Mellberg walked after tripping Defoe, having been booked for grabbing Kranjcar by the neck earlier.
| Portsmouth |
Team Statistics |
Aston Villa |
| 2 |
Goals |
0 |
| 2 |
1st Half Goals |
0 |
| 3 |
Shots on Target |
5 |
| 8 |
Shots off Target |
7 |
| 2 |
Blocked Shots |
3 |
| 3 |
Corners |
6 |
| 20 |
Fouls |
14 |
| 0 |
Offsides |
4 |
| 2 |
Yellow Cards |
0 |
| 1 |
Red Cards |
1 |
| 69.4 |
Passing Success |
69.4 |
| 23 |
Tackles |
26 |
| 78.3 |
Tackles Success |
80.8 |
| 51.8 |
Possession |
48.2 |
| 38.6 |
Territorial Advantage |
61.4 |
|
