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Portsmouth still in Euro hunt
15/03/2008 20:23 - (SA)
London - Portsmouth kept up their pursuit of a Uefa Cup place as Harry Redknapp's side beat Aston Villa 2-0 on Saturday.
Jermain Defoe opened the scoring with his sixth goal in six matches before Nigel Reo-Coker's farcical own goal before half-time.
Portsmouth's victory moved them above Villa into sixth place, maintaining their hopes of qualifying for Europe through their league position instead of relying on winning the FA Cup.
Not even Sulley Muntari's second-half dismissal could ruin Portsmouth's day because Villa defender Olof Mellberg saw red soon after to even up the numbers.
England striker Defoe is cup-tied for the semi-final against West Bromwich Albion and he will be sorely missed by Redknapp. He was often a substitute at Tottenham but has proved huge success on the south-coast since his transfer deadline day move.
Villa had only themselves to blame for wasting early chances. Shaun Maloney cut in from the left to fire a low shot after just two minutes but former Villa keeper David James grasped it firmly.
Gabriel Agbonlahor took advantage of a slip from Hermann Hreidarsson to race clear. Again James came to the rescue as he advanced off his line to block.
Pompey had been on the back foot but they broke away to take the lead in the 11th minute.
Defoe latched onto Glen Johnson's long pass and chipped the ball over Villa centre-backs Martin Laursen and Zat Knight. The diminutive forward showed great composure to direct his effort past Carson as well and into the empty net.
Villa responded and James and to be alert to push away John Carew's header from an Ashley Young free-kick.
Portsmouth striker Milan Baros showed his lightning pace to get into a goal-scoring position but Scott Carson denied the Czech a goal against his former club.
O'Neill's side had lost just one of their last 12 away league games but any hopes of extending that run were dashed in bizarre fashion after 38 minutes.
Defoe was the instigator again as he chased another through ball.
Carson slid out of his area to clear, but only succeeded in hittingl Reo-Coker and looped back into his own net.
Villa almost reduced the deficit before the break when Gareth Barry slipped a pass to Young, whose shot fizzes wide of a post.
The visitors should have pulled one back four minutes into the second half, but Agbonlahor, meeting Maloney's cross, shot wide from close range.
Then the match turned ugly. Mellberg was booked after grabbing Niko Kranjcar around the neck before Muntari was sent off for a second yellow card when he clashed with Villa substitute Moustapha Salifou.
James had made a fine save from Young's free-kick just before Muntari's red card, but Mellberg was then sent off after his second bookable offence, a trip on Defoe, and that ended Villa's chances of a revival.
- SuperSport
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