Sunday 2 November 2008

Unlucky Pompey defeated by Wigan


Portsmouth will be wondering how they didn't beat Wigan at Fratton Park on Saturday, as Pompey hit the bar four times, and had the ball cleared off the line three times.

Campbell and Johnson returned to the starting 11, with Pamarot and Kaboul making way for the England stars.

Wigan started the better side, and evidently were the better team throughout the first half. Zaki nearly opened the scoring early on for the visitors, as his looping shot beat David James but was denied by the outside of the post, before going out for a goal kick.

The visitors followed up with a couple more efforts coming from Wilson Pacalios and Zaki, but James was on top of it.

It took a sketchy 17 minutes for Pompey to get their first shot away, and it came from Glen Johnson, his shot from the edge of the box was comfortably taken by Wigan keeper Chris Kirkland.

Pompey went a lot closer soon after, as Lassana Diarra's corner met Crouch who headed it onto the top of the bar. Jermain Defoe also went close minutes after, when he met Johnson's incisive pass to fire just inches wide.

Defoe went close again in the 38th minute as he skipped past Titus Bramble, but couldn't get a shot away before the ball was cleared behind.

Bouba Diop nearly broke the deadlock as his header was tipped onto the bar and then cleared by Palacios.

Then the Senegalese midfielder went from hero to villain for the second time in two games, as Bouba Diop clumsily brought down Bramble in the box, to give Amr Zaki a penalty that sent Wigan 1-0 up into half time.

Adams must have been writing notes during all of Harry Redknapp's infamous half time speeches, because whatever he said in the break gave Pompey a lift, and the blues were throwing everything that had into the match.

Kranjcar replaced Traore on the left, who nearly scored instantly with a free-kick following Figueroa's challenge on Defoe, Niko's shot deflected off Crouch, but was cleared off the line once again, this time by Emmerson Boyce.

Crouch headed Belhadj's cross just wide, before Pompey were given an indirect free-kick 9 yards out, following a Wigan pass-back. All 11 Wigan players lined up on the goal line, and Defoe's shot was once again cleared off the line to safety.

Zaki and Heskey could of put Wigan further in front soon after, but Heskey mis-timed his shot, and Zaki spooned over the bar.

But Pompey fought back to dominate the second half, as Johnson and Crouch both hit the crossbar in quite succession.
It looked like it wasn't going to be Pompey's day, and second half substitute John Utaka, who came on for Bouba Diop, had his throttling shot blocked. But on 82 minutes, Niko Kranjcar finally found the back of the net for Pompey with a well placed shot from the edge of the area to bring it back to 1-1

It looked like Pompey's fortunes had changed following the equaliser, and Adams' men carried on pushing forward and looked destined to get a late winner, but it was Wigan who got the late winner as Lee Cattermole picked out Heskey to fire it past James and leave Pompey in the dumps.

Despite having only gained one point under Tony Adams, the blues nearly stole a point midweek against high flying Liverpool, and should have won with a magnificently unlucky performance against Wigan. I think the passion from Adams is there, and I am sure our luck under him will change - we've just got to give it time.

Play Up Pompey

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