Premier League - Roberts brace sinks Portsmouth

Opta - Sat, 07 Nov 16:50:00 2009

Jason Roberts scored twice as Blackburn Rovers came from behind to beat Portsmouth 3-1 and climb out of the Premier League's bottom three.

2009 Blackburn Rovers Jason Roberts - 0

Poor for the first 45, the half-time arrival of substitutes Roberts and Benni McCarthy turned the game in the home side's favour.

Roberts netted within eight minutes of coming on before Ryan Nelsen claimed only his second goal for the club with a 73rd-minute header.

Fittingly it was McCarthy and Roberts who combined for the third goal three minutes from full-time, with the latter steering Rovers to a third home win in succession in the league.

Jamie O'Hara had given Pompey the lead with a low shot in the 16th minute, but Paul Hart, who had seen his side win their last two games by four goals to nil, was left to lament a second-half collapse by his team who remain bottom of the pile.

O'Hara's strike was the only incident of note during a poor first half. The midfielder, on loan to Pompey from Tottenham, took aim from 25 yards out and hit a shot which found the bottom corner of Paul Robinson's goal.

The visitors defended well for the remainder of the first half and Rovers' frustration was in clear evidence when Pascal Chimbonda delivered a shove in the face to Portsmouth's goalscorer. The Frenchman was fortunate to receive only a yellow card.

Home fans' chants for McCarthy - the player who Rovers boss Sam Allardyce has admitted that he might sell in January - told its own story of Blackburn's attacking inadequacies.

Allardyce stated this week that he could not accommodate both the South African and Rovers' talisman David Dunn in the same side but the manager was forced into a change of heart at half-time. McCarthy and fellow striker Roberts were both introduced at the restart in place of El-Hadji Diouf and Morten Gamst Pedersen.

It was McCarthy's less-heralded strike partner, Roberts, who equalised for the home side with a neat finish after Nelsen had headed down a corner delivered by Dunn.

Rovers were much improved, but Pompey retained a threat on the break, not least with the shooting of O'Hara and the all-action display of Anthony van den Borre.

The home side, however, went 2-1 ahead in the 73rd minute when Nelsen, who had made a nuisance of himself in the build-up to the first goal, powered a header past James from another Dunn corner.

Rovers' captain, an infrequent goalscorer, resumed normal service at the opposite end of the field and cleared the danger after a melée that might have allowed Portsmouth an immediate equaliser. From the subsequent corner, Tommy Smith headed over the bar to leave Portsmouth with heads in hands.

The proof that this is indeed a game of two halves came three minutes from the end when the two half-time substitutes combined, McCarthy squaring for Roberts, to give Rovers a come-from-behind victory for the third home game in succession.

Chris Stanton / Opta

Comment 1 - 19 of 19

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  1. NAA, I'M OK....I JUST GO TO SPURS V SCUM TWICE A­ YEAR, SLAP A FEW OF YOU TRAMPS ABOUT, THEN WATCH US HIT­ THE DIZZY HEIGHTS OF THE BEST LEAGUE IN THE­ WORLD........THEN I WATCH YOU TRAMPS FALL OUT OF THE­ PREM AND INTO THE CHUMPS, WHILST WE BENEFIT FROM YOUR­ OLD MANAGER AND PLAYERS......EASY REALLY....SO CALM­ DOWN PORTSCUMMERS, DON'T GET UPSET WITH ME.....AHAH­ HAHAHAHAHAHAHA...............

    From ROCK AND ROLL, on Mon 9 Nov 4:23PM

  2. you really should seek help for your pent up anger big­ nose!

    From terryrussell40, on Mon 9 Nov 11:37AM

  3. PETER S"1TE.............WHERE'S THE REST OF­ YOU SAPS????? OH, I KNOW YOU LOST, SO JUST LIKE WHEN­ YOU GET SLAPPED UP BY THE SAINTS LADS, YOU­ HIDE...............YOU TRAMPS..........

    From ROCK AND ROLL, on Sun 8 Nov 8:04PM

  4. Decided to come for air this weekend ROCK & ROLL,­ you gutless piece of filth? It must be choking you and­ your 'mates' down in that crummy little north­ London cellar eh!

    From Peter S, on Sun 8 Nov 7:28PM

  5. IT MUST BE THE TOXIC WATER FROM THE NAVY'S DUMPED­ NUKE WASTE THAT HAS BRED SUCH SWAMP RAT FILTH, BUT THE­ SOONER YOUR 10 POINT DEDUCTION AND DROP TO THE CHUMPS­ KICKS IN, THE BETTER.......

    From ROCK AND ROLL, on Sun 8 Nov 3:46PM

  6. JUST LIKE YOUR TRAMP TOWN IS A DISGRACE TO ENGLAND,­ YOUR FILTY TRAMP TEAM IS A DISGRACE TO THE­ PREMIERSHIP............................

    From ROCK AND ROLL, on Sun 8 Nov 3:45PM

  7. JUST LIKE YOUR TRAMP TOWN IS A DISGRACE TO ENGLAND,­ YOUR FILTY TRAMP TEAM IS A DISGRACE TO THE­ PREMIERSHIP............................

    From ROCK AND ROLL, on Sun 8 Nov 3:45PM

  8. JUST LIKE YOUR TRAMP TOWN IS A DISGRACE TO ENGLAND,­ YOUR FILTY TRAMP TEAM IS A DISGRACE TO THE­ PREMIERSHIP............................

    From ROCK AND ROLL, on Sun 8 Nov 3:45PM

  9. SEE PORTSCUMMERS, EVERTONE FROM DOWN SOUTH, THROUGH­ LONDON UP TO THE NORTH WANTS YOU STINKING INBRED TRAMPS­ OUT OF THE PREMIER....SAINTS ARE THE BIGGER TEAM, THAT­ GOT A BIT UNLUCKY, BUT THEY'LL BE BACK TO TAKE­ THEIR RIGHTFUL PLACE AS NUMBER 1 SOUTHERN TEAM....

    From ROCK AND ROLL, on Sun 8 Nov 3:44PM

  10. pompeys going down lol pompeys going down lol great to­ see the back of u southern softies leave the premier­ league to us mancs and northerners come back­ southampton ur the biggest team in hampshire.pompey r­ skint like their bumboys brighton

    From dazmanutd, on Sun 8 Nov 2:48PM

  11. HMMM....CATCH UP SCUMMER............ANYONE WHO USES­ THIS PORTSCUMMER SITE, KNOWS I POST UNDER A DIFFERENT­ NAME..........ONE OF YOU EVEN REALSIED WHO I POSTED AS­ ON THE SPURS SITE, WHICH WAS INCREDIBLE, SEEING AS­ YOU'RE ALL INBREDS.............

    From ROCK AND ROLL, on Sun 8 Nov 12:47PM

  12. I have just been on the Big nose (Yids) page and­ R&R does not feature at all, he must obviously be a­ secret Pompey fan. But he just does not know how to­ make people accept him! Keep taking the pills my friend­ and just maybe we will let you join our unique club of­ the best supporters in the land. PLAY UP POMPEY !!!

    From terryrussell40, on Sun 8 Nov 12:10PM

  13. JO STALIN - BO HOO HOO..................YOU SAD­ PORTSCUMMER............TYPICAL BULLY THAT SHOUTS ABUSE­ DAY AFTER DAY, BUT PLAYS POOR LITTLE VICTIM WHEN­ FEELING SORRY FOR THEMSELVES..................GET A­ BACK BONE TRAMP.........

    From ROCK AND ROLL, on Sun 8 Nov 8:11AM

  14. .....................ED, CAN WE HAVE­ ROCK..............AND...................ROLL
    BANNED­ FROM THESE PAGES?....................HE IS A­ @#$%!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!...............­ .....

    From Lord Dambo of Purbrookshire, on Sat 7 Nov 8:07PM

  15. Proof if needed that we need two strikers on the pitch.­ Di Santo was isolated in the first half and it was­ wretched to watch.
    Throw on McCarthy and Roberts and­ hey ho.......three goals.

    From go_on_brett, on Sat 7 Nov 6:53PM
  16. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    AH HAHAHAHAHAHA.................TOLD YA.............ONE­ NUMPTY WIN AND YOU TRAMPS THOUGHT YOU WERE OUT OF THE­ SH1T3............NO SUCH LUCK SCUMMERS, YOU ARE IN THE­ SEWER WHERE YOU AND YOUR P155P0T TEAM AND FITHY SO­ CALLED FANS, BELONG........HMMM, NOT SO MANY POSTING­ EH???????????SAME OLD SAME OLD, ONE WIN, LOTS OF­ POSTING TALKING OF HOW YOUR SCUMBAG TEAM ARE OUTTA­ TROUBLE, THEN YOU LOSE AND YOU GUTLESS LOT ARE OFF WITH­ YOUR P155Y TAILS BETWEEN YA­ LEGS.............................YOU FILTHY­ TRAMPS..........

    From ROCK AND ROLL, on Sat 7 Nov 6:41PM

  17. We played very well first half and deserved the lead.­ When they changed abd brought on their subs we did­ nothing. Paul Hart is very honest, works hard and I­ admit has done well to get this team together but­ sometimes he makes the wrong (or no) decisions. We­ should have gone 4 4 2, brought on Belhadj and finished­ them off. We could have been out of the bottom three­ this evening, but no. Losing Dindane didn't help­ and Wilson is a bit suspect, but the main problem is­ Hart not changing things when other sides do or waiting­ until far to late if he does.

    PLAY UP POMPEY!!

    From Lord Dambo of Purbrookshire, on Sat 7 Nov 5:22PM

  18. Not a very flattering pic of big sam then?? lloks like­ he just chewed a wasp?

    From steve f, on Sat 7 Nov 7:37AM

  19. who cares...PLAY UP POMPEY...

    From bill, on Fri 6 Nov 2:47PM
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