Premier League - Villa add to Pompey woes

Eurosport - Sat, 19 Sep 21:32:00 2009

Aston Villa swaggered to a comfortable 2-0 victory at Villa Park to leave Portsmouth still pointless after six Premier League matches.

Gabriel Agbonlahor, Aston Villa v Portsmouth, FOOTBALL - 0

James Milner's clinical penalty in the 34th minute gave the hosts the lead which they extended when Gabriel Agbonlahor drove home a second two minutes before half-time.

Villa held the ascendancy thereafter as their hapless visitors were unable to force their way back into the contest.

Pompey boss Paul Hart looked on helplessly from the touchline as Ashley Young and Agbonlayor's incisive runs made his side's back-four look flat-footed and cumbersome. And it could well have been more but for David James in the Portsmouth goal.

Martin O'Neill's preparations for the match were clouded by midfielder Nigel Reo-Coker having been sent home from a training session after a confrontation with the boss but his presence was hardly missed.

James prevented his side falling behind in the 10th minute with a stunning point-blank save after Aaron Mokoena inadvertently headed Young's vicious cross towards his own goal. It merely postponed what seemed to be inevitable as Villa kept their opponents under the cosh.

Pompey striker Frederic Piquionne rose above Stephen Warnock to head wide from Michael Brown's lofted cross from the right but that was his side's solitary clear-cut chance of the first half.

And Nadir Belhadj's tactless lunge at Stiliyan Petrov in the Pompey box left referee Stuart Attwell with a simple decision to point to the penalty spot.

Milner stepped up to lash the ball home to give the hosts a 34th-minute lead to cap their efforts. It was Villa's sixth goal from a set-piece this season.

Nine minutes later, Agbonlahor swivelled and turned his marker Tal Ben-Haim before he drilled a fierce shot past the helpless James to double the lead.

O'Neill looked on anxiously as Young went down in a crumpled heap after a robust challenge from Brown in the second half. The winger got to his feet gingerly and proceeded to last the entirety.

Brad Friedel pulled off a fantastic save to deny Kevin-Prince Boateng, whose rasping drive from the edge of the area almost beat him inside his far post on the hour mark, but it was a moment of fleeting inspiration from the visitors.

Thereafter, Portsmouth were confined to speculative efforts as Brown and Boateng each indulged in long-range drives which did not trouble Friedel.

Emile Heskey scored in two games against Portsmouth last season, and the England striker replaced John Carew in the second half but was forced off minutes later with an injury as Fabian Delph stepped in.

The win was secure for Villa and, after an eventful week, O'Neill left to the sound of the home fans chanting his name having steered his side into fifth place in the table.

Portsmouth were seeking a century of Premier League goals away from home but they the beleaguered South Coast side remain bottom and without a point.

Dan Quarrell / Eurosport

Comment 4 - 23 of 23

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  1. to all those scummers, you are where you belong in DIV­ ONE of the fizzy pop league. And how many points do you­ have ???? oh yes -2, with the top teams leaping away,­ so enjoy at least two seasons at your new found level­ !! And I am asking myself why are you not on your own­ Yahoo comments page, oh yes thats it, you don't­ have one because you are so far down the league. Play­ up Pompey !!!

    From terryrussell40, on Tue 22 Sep 4:44PM

  2. And DAVID, Pompey are not scummers! Southampton are­ the scummers, we are skates! Check out your history­ before you start throwing insults around that you know­ nothing about. Any Soton fan (or other fans) that call­ Pompey scummers are wrong. There are two possible­ origins of SCUM: 'Southampton Company of Union­ Men' or perhaps 'Southampton Community Union­ Members' who broke the docks strike or the fact­ that Pompey is a naval dockyard who looked down on the­ merchant seaman as scum floating on the water. Pompey­ fans are called skates after the rumour that the mouth­ of the Skate (a fish for all you morons out there),­ looks and feels a little bit like a certain part of the­ female anatomy (i don't have to spell it­ out!).

    There, now you know!

    From Lord Dambo of Purbrookshire, on Mon 21 Sep 11:31AM

  3. Did your writer watch the whole game, or just the­ edited bits on MOTD? Please get someone who has­ watched the whole game to do the reports eh ed.

    From Lord Dambo of Purbrookshire, on Mon 21 Sep 11:17AM

  4. How can you say Villa 'swaggered' to a­ 'comfortable' victory'? Pompey had them­ pinned back in their own third for long periods. All­ we lacked was the finishing touch. We could have had a­ hatful if we hadn't have kept shooting straight at­ their 'keeper. How many shots on target for­ Pompey? Watch it again and count them!

    From Lord Dambo of Purbrookshire, on Mon 21 Sep 10:12AM

  5. YOU ARE ALL A BUNCH OF @#$%

    From Lord Dambo of Purbrookshire, on Mon 21 Sep 9:08AM

  6. Ha Ha Ha..SKATES..S.H.I.T team...S.H.I.T manager...­ S.H.I.T fans... S.H.I.T ground... S.H.I.T hole...nuff­ said !!!!

    From plums, on Sun 20 Sep 12:31PM

  7. Well done scummers for setting a new prem record, you­ must be soooo proud

    From David, on Sat 19 Sep 10:37PM

  8. I don't quiet know what to say, MON falling out­ with the skipper by making a remark about a loose pass­ in training, then proceeds to watch then wax lyrical­ about a win that was so nailed on you could't find­ a bookie to take your money. I will admit it was these­ sort of matches that villa would lose but hey ho 5th­ place and looking rosey, still we'll find out what­ the season holds in a 2 wks when Manshiek city +Gareth­ show me the money barry come to town

    From mik363, on Sat 19 Sep 10:12PM

  9. you know all is right in the world and there is a god­ when pompey are bottom.

    From christopher, on Sat 19 Sep 10:10PM

  10. Ha Ha Ha Ha, pathetic excuse for a football team. Your­ going back to where you belong.

    From becks2483, on Sat 19 Sep 9:49PM
  11. Comment hidden due to its low rating. Show

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    From WWW.PREMIERSHIP.ALTERVISTA.ORG, on Sat 19 Sep 8:13PM

  12. Villa buzzin' hoverin around 4th spot again!!!

    From tj.whelan, on Sat 19 Sep 8:02PM

  13. down down down where you belong

    From mark p, on Sat 19 Sep 6:21PM

  14. I agree with you about the play up Pompey phrase­ it's a really stupid thing to say when you're a­ rubbish team. Infact it's just a tragic thing to­ say full stop. What is it supposed to mean?

    From al.megrahi, on Sat 19 Sep 6:20PM

  15. Can't beleive whats happened to Pompey. I am a NUFC­ supporter and I'm sorry but i fear the worst for­ you guys.I really hope you get yerselves sorted and­ stay up cos we coming up and the Pompey -NUFC are a­ family derby for me. Your supporters a great in every­ way and I hope things improve for you all.. trust me I­ know how you feel.
    PLAY UP POMPEY !!

    From wesley.wade, on Sat 19 Sep 6:17PM

  16. My partner is a pompey supporter and even he has­ accepted the fact that they are rubbish and going­ DOWN!!!!!

    From mariapromotservices, on Sat 19 Sep 5:59PM

  17. oh dear me what is happening at skateville???? pmsl you­ are not staying up no way no how since your beloved­ "my heart belongs to pompey" rednapp dumped­ you for more money lol.....get your championship flags­ out because you are going back to where you belong

    From lexuschristina777, on Sat 19 Sep 5:45PM

  18. Pompey are rubbish now and even Nugent got a couple on­ loan at Burnley - perhaps he may have scored for us if­ Hart played him as striker instead of a winger!

    From jiveman5, on Sat 19 Sep 5:45PM

  19. Poor old Portsmouth - not enough class today.

    From ever.hopeful, on Sat 19 Sep 5:39PM

  20. Aston Villa deserved to win - they were much the better­ side.

    From parksfields, on Sat 19 Sep 5:37PM
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