Premier League - Cahill stuns Pompey at death

Eurosport - Sat, 12 Sep 22:47:00 2009

A last-minute winner from Gary Cahill gave Bolton a 3-2 Premier League win over Portsmouth at Fratton Park and secured the first points of the season for Gary Megson's side.

Gary Cahill v Portsmouth, FOOTBALL - 0

Tamir Cohen opened the scoring for Bolton on 14 minutes before Younes Kaboul equalised 12 minutes later for the hosts.

Matthew Taylor re-established the visitors' lead from the spot three minutes before half-time after Tal Ben-Haim brought down Kevin Davies in the box but then Kevin-Prince Boateng levelled things on 65 minutes with a shot through a crowded penalty area.

Despite numerous chances it seemed as though the match would end level but Cahill's looping header from a goalmouth scramble gave Bolton all three points.

The two sides might have mustered just three goals between them in 630 minutes of Premier League football prior to the match, but it was high-octane stuff from the start.

The first decent chance of the match came after five minutes as Gretar Steinsson's cross found Davies, who headed straight at David James.

The visitors dominated the early exchanges and on 12 minutes it seemed that they would take the lead as Taylor was released into the box on the right by Steinsson, but he sliced appallingly with just the keeper to beat.

Two minutes later, Cohen was through in a mirror-image opportunity but the outcome was different as the midfielder buried the ball perfectly into the top-left corner, giving James no chance.

The goal spurred Pompey into action with Jamie O'Hara looking dangerous and it was a corner from the on-loan Spurs man that led to the equaliser as Kaboul thundered a perfect header low into the corner to level.

Kaboul came within a whisker of another headed goal from a corner just five minutes later, as Bolton keeper Jussi Jaaskelainen mis-timed his punch clear, but he ended up glancing the ball wide.

Further chances fell to O'Hara, Frederic Piquionne and Tommy Smith as Pompey's new signings all looked good value.

But it was Bolton who scored next as Nadir Belhadj let Davies get past him in the box and more or less compelled Ben-Haim to attempt a tackle from behind that ended inevitably in a foul and a penalty.

Taylor made no mistake from the spot against his former club, coolly delivering the ball into the bottom left as James dived the other way.

Two minutes later the hosts almost got back on terms as Smith just missed a ball slid across the front of goal by O'Hara.

The flow of chances slowed after the break although Taylor had a great chance just before the hour mark to put the game beyond Pompey, but he fired over.

Pompey were back on terms with Boateng latching on to the deflection from O'Hara's bicycle kick, and firing through the throng of bodies in the box past the unsighted Jaaskelainen.

As the legs tired the chances came with Cahill miscontrolling when clear and unmarked five yards from goal before Davies saw his shot deflected just over the bar.

It was left for Cahill to grab a dramatic winner with eferee Chris Foy waving away complaints of offside.

It was a cruel result for Portsmouth, who remain without a point after five matches.

Toby Keel / Eurosport

Comment 1 - 13 of 13

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  1. always a blue forever a blue!!
    PLAY UP POMPEY!!

    From Ellie, on Thu 24 Sep 7:31PM
  2. i feel for the pompey fans, harry largely bought­ rubbish, the chairman cares less than mike ashley an­ the arab pulled out, hopefully they get some new­ finances by jan so they dont end up championship bound

    From Jimmyrice man u are champs again, on Sat 12 Sep 10:35PM
  3. Bolton are one of the truly rubbish teams in the EPL­ and if Pompey cannot even beat them at home then there­ is no hope, except perhaps three worse teams, maybe­ Hull, Burnley & Birmingham

    From Peter S, on Sat 12 Sep 6:01PM
  4. cmon bolton send that set that sinking ship pompey­ adrift!!

    From phil.hayward1, on Sat 12 Sep 12:25PM
  5. PLAY UP POMPEY

    From dannycoleman83, on Fri 11 Sep 3:56AM
  6. .....sadly, I feel this one has "bore bore­ draw" plastered all over it but for Megson's­ sake I hope he takes the points. He can't possibly­ expect the travelling faithful to sit and watch the­ same cruddy performance they sat through last season­ (me amongst them). Get your shooting boots on Klasnic!

    From bluecow60, on Thu 10 Sep 8:00AM
  7. This is now Paul Harts team, before we juge him lets­ see what he has done with his new team.

    From Jocelyn, on Wed 9 Sep 8:10PM
  8. john utaka will have another rush of blood but score­ this time, mark my words !!

    From terryrussell40, on Wed 9 Sep 4:12PM
  9. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

    pompey 3-0 bolton are shiat and so is the town

    From WILL M, on Wed 9 Sep 12:07PM
  10. play up pompey we will take 3 points saturday

    From mick, on Wed 9 Sep 11:45AM
  11. how can pompey win any game with the players they have.

    From SALLY, on Tue 8 Sep 8:31PM
  12. Bolton will win easily

    From RICHARD W, on Tue 8 Sep 8:01PM
  13. Bolton will win

    From Freddie, on Tue 8 Sep 3:40PM
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