Portsmouth are through to the quarter-finals of the FA Cup courtesy of a last-gasp 1-0 victory over Preston at Deepdale.
Carter own goal sends Portsmouth into the last eight
Portsmouth are through to the quarter-finals of the FA Cup courtesy of a last-gasp 1-0 victory over Preston at Deepdale.
The contest looked destined for a replay until Darren Carter inadvertently hooked the ball into his own net after The Lilywhites failed to deal with an inswinging corner.
The result was harsh on Preston who could, and should, have been ahead on the hour mark, but David James superbly denied Simon Whaley from the penalty spot.
The visitors had the better of the first half without really threatening while Preston's superb second-half showing meant the least they deserved was a replay.
However, it was not to be and Pompey remain on course for a rare FA Cup final appearance courtesy of Carter's own goal with the last kick of the game.
Preston's Paul McKenna set a captain's example in the fifth minute with a thunderous 25-yard shot which drew a fine block from Papa Bouba Diop.
Danger averted
The ball spun back towards Portsmouth's goal, however, and Sol Campbell needed to be alert to make a vital interception to avert the danger.
In the 13th minute Carter's inswinging corner was greeted by an uncharacteristically flimsy punch from James - and the Pompey backline were required to clear the loose ball.
Preston threatened again midway through the half when Whaley saw a shot blocked by Glen Johnson and then fired the rebound high and wide from 12 yards.
Pompey tested Andy Lonergan in the 37th minute when Muntari's curling free-kick from 25 yards drew a smart stop from the North End goalkeeper.
The Premier League side threatened briefly after the break when Johnson advanced forward at pace from right-back before cutting infield and hitting a fierce 20-yard shot straight at Lonergan.
Clumsy
Preston responded moments later, however, when Carter had a volley blocked by Diop.
Pompey came even closer shortly before the hour mark when Niko Kranjcar crossed from the left and Youl Mawene almost put the ball past his own goalkeeper before Lonergan got down low to prevent the ball crossing the line.
Preston's big chance came when Sylvain Distin clumsily felled Billy Jones as he sought to break clear after collecting Whaley's pass.
Whaley stepped up from 12 yards but James dived to his right and the visiting defence cleared the danger from the rebound.
James continued to excel - reacting superbly to get a hand to Chris Brown's long-range strike before doing likewise to repel a 20-yard piledriver from Neil Mellor.
The home side continued to pile on the pressure but Pompey stole victory when Kranjcar's late corner ended up in the net via the unfortunate Carter.
| Preston North End |
Team Statistics |
Portsmouth |
|
| 0 |
Goals |
1 |
|
| 0 |
1st Half Goals |
0 |
|
| 4 |
Shots on Target |
5 |
|
| 8 |
Shots off Target |
9 |
|
| 5 |
Blocked Shots |
7 |
|
| 8 |
Corners |
7 |
|
| 12 |
Fouls |
12 |
|
| 0 |
Offsides |
6 |
|
| 0 |
Yellow Cards |
0 |
|
| 0 |
Red Cards |
0 |
|
| 63.8 |
Passing Success |
76.2 |
|
| 30 |
Tackles |
32 |
|
| 46.7 |
Tackles Success |
53.1 |
|
| 43.5 |
Possession |
56.5 |
|
| 50.9 |
Territorial Advantage |
49.1 |
|
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|
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