FOOTBALL Live

Saturday October 20, 2007 Finished JJB Stadium

Logo 0 - Logo 2

Wigan Athletic

Portsmouth

  • Benjani 80’
  • Johnson 85’
  1. Pompey strike late at Wigan

    Pompey strike late at Wigan

    Portsmouth went to the JBB Stadium after scoring nine goals in their last two Premier League games, and they netted a 2-0 wim as a lacklustre Wigan slumped to their fourth defeat in a row. More

  • Live Commentary

    Time:90'
    • Wigan Athletic
    • Portsmouth
    • 90 It's all over. Portsmouth with their second, consecutive 2-0 away win, and thoroughly deserved. It wasn't pretty, but they completely controlled the second half. 3 points in the bag.
    • 89 Titus Bramble goes in the book for a foul on Glen Johnson.
    • 89 Most of the Wigan fans have already left. It's grim viewing for the home crowd - their team just can't do anything in the final third.
    • 87 Wigan are at sixes and sevens. Portsmouth are piling forward now. A third goal isn't impossible.
    • 85 SUPERB GOAL! Glen JOHNSON of all people scores a beauty from just ouside the box, firing past the helpless Chris Kirkland after rounding 3 Wigan defenders. Well done, that man.
    • 80 GOAL! BENJANI! At last the deadlock is broken. Muntari crosses in from the left wing, and bang in the middle of the six-yard box Benjani sidefoots it on the half-volley (no mean feat. It's 1-0 to Portsmouth! So much for the nine Wigan men behind the ball...
    • 75 Wigan are throwing eight or nine men behind the ball each time Pompey go forward. It's working so far.
    • 73 Yep, there we go - Sean Davis OFF, Pedro Mendes ON for Portsmouth.
    • 70 Sulley Muntari is in the book for a foul on Granqvist.
    • 69 Big Harry Redknapp looks pensive. Is he considering throwing on Pedro Mendes or David Nugent?
    • 68 Michael Brown fires an effort in from the left wing, but it goes wide. Can somebody please test David James or Chris Kirkland?
    • 66 Jason Koumas whips in a decent cross from the left but it's easily cleared by Glen Johnson. The susbequent corner is an easy catch for David James.
    • 64 We have some rhythm again. Both teams have upped the ante but there are still no great chances or real tests for either keeper.
    • 60 The rhythm of the game is destroyed by a series of free kicks. The latest is a long-range effort from Muntari which isn't half bad - but it just goes wide of Kirkland's post.
    • 57 Ref Peter Walton is getting card-happy now. Sean Davis is shown the yellow after a challenge on Kilbane, who's the only Wigan player looking vaguely dangerous so far...
    • 55 Julius Aghahowa's only contribution so far has been a booking. He's shown the yellow for a foul on Sol Campbell.
    • 55 Pompey are dominating and getting forward but can't break through. Or get a shot on target, for that matter. Benjani's powerful effort is deflected out for a corner by Bramble, and Campbell can't quiet get his head on the resulting corner.
    • 52 The subbed Sibierski looks to have picked up a knock after a series of hefty challenges. Hreidarsson's tackle seems to have been the sraw that broke the camel's back.
    • 51 Substitution for Wigan. Sibierski OFF, and Aghahowa ON.
    • 49 Neat skill from Sean Davis on the edge of the Wigan box. He turns and dribbles into the penalty area but stumbles over himself and lands on the ground. Pompey fans shout for a penalty, but there's no chance of that.
    • 46 Back underway at the JJB Stadium. Worth remembering Portsmouth have scored nine goals in their last two Premier League games...
    • 45 Half-time. There was only one clear-cut chance to score in that half, and that was in the 3rd minute when Paul Scharner hit the woodwork and scuffed the rebound. What's happened to free-scoring Portsmouth?
    • 44 The free kick is taken by Jason Koumas and it floats over and wide. The only person that effort troubled was the ball boy.
    • 42 Muntari is punished for a tackle on - guess who? - Sibierski. It's just outside the penalty box. The magic sponge and spray are out.
    • 38 It's a booking for Portsmouth's Sol Campbell after a foul on Antoine Sibierski. Looked a tad harsh from here.
    • 38 It didn't liven things up at all. The game's gone back to being scrappy, sloppy and niggly. A lot of crosses going nowhere and long balls.
    • 36 Decent effort - that's livened things up! Bent fires in a shot from the right wing, after storming down the flank. Side netting.
    • 34 Meanwhile, in the dugout, Chris Hutchings looks as bored as the spectators at the JBB stadium.
    • 31 Sean Davis goes down clutching his face after a bit of argy-bargy by Michael Brown. It's all a bit theatrical. But it does liven up this drab, 'international hangover' type game.
    • 28 Well, it's all a bit sloppy. Lots of stray passes and easy tackles going on. But The Latics' Titus Bramble has just put in a clearance, which has got to be good news for Wigan fans.
    • 24 Sibierski gets his head on the end of a beautiful, long cross from Kilbane on the left. The header goes way wide and Sibierski knows he should have done better. By the way, Wigan haven't picked up a point since Heskey's foot injury in September.
    • 23 Another half-decent Portsmouth attack let down by some weird finishing. Glen Johnson shoots hopelessly wide but Pompey are looking the more dangerous side.
    • 22 Good effort! Kranjcar tries to beat Chris Kirkland from 25 yards out with a stinging, low shot. The Wigan keeper saves comfortably.
    • 19 Superb defensive work from Portsmouth again. Distin puts in a great tackle on Koumas, who was ploughing forward down the right flank.
    • 16 Pompey are getting closer and closer to the Wigan goal. Muntari dribbles into the box but loses the ball and wastes the subsequent corner.
    • 15 Wigan completely waste a corner. Diop's running around the pitch like a man on fire.
    • 12 Silky skills from Wigan down the middle, with Kilbane looking sprightly. But it comes to nothing as Pompey's rock-solid defence snuffs out the threat.
    • 9 It's a wayward effort from Papa Bouba Diop. His strike from 30 yards ends up halfway between the corner flag and the goal. Excellent.
    • 5 Glen Johnson looked to have picked up a nasty injury which left Harry Redknapp looking a tad furious on the touchline, but the former Chelsea man appears to have shaken it off.
    • 3 Oh, so close! Wigan come close to scoring first as Paul Scharner's header clatters against the woodwork. His second effort from inside the six-yard box doesn't find the back of the net. David James had no chance!
    • 1 And they're away as 5th-placed Portsmouth seek to keep up their superb start against 14th-placed Wigan.

  • Summary

    • 85 SUPERB GOAL! Glen JOHNSON of all people scores a beauty from just ouside the box, firing past the helpless Chris Kirkland after rounding 3 Wigan defenders. Well done, that man.
    • 80 GOAL! BENJANI! At last the deadlock is broken. Muntari crosses in from the left wing, and bang in the middle of the six-yard box Benjani sidefoots it on the half-volley (no mean feat. It's 1-0 to Portsmouth! So much for the nine Wigan men behind the ball...
    • 60 The rhythm of the game is destroyed by a series of free kicks. The latest is a long-range effort from Muntari which isn't half bad - but it just goes wide of Kirkland's post.
    • 36 Decent effort - that's livened things up! Bent fires in a shot from the right wing, after storming down the flank. Side netting.
    • 22 Good effort! Kranjcar tries to beat Chris Kirkland from 25 yards out with a stinging, low shot. The Wigan keeper saves comfortably.
    • 3 Oh, so close! Wigan come close to scoring first as Paul Scharner's header clatters against the woodwork. His second effort from inside the six-yard box doesn't find the back of the net. David James had no chance!

Live Team Line-Up

  • Referee: Peter Walton

  • Wigan Athletic

    Manager: Chris Hutchings

    Captain: Paul Scharner

    On the Field

    • Kirkland
    • Granqvist
    • Boyce
    • Bramble
    • Kilbane
    • Brown
    • Landzaat
    • Scharner
    • Koumas
    • Bent
    • Sibierski

    Subs

    • Skoko
    • Aghahowa
    • Hall
    • Pollitt
    • Olembe

    Injured

    • Heskey

    Suspended

    None

  • Portsmouth

    Manager: Harry Redknapp

    Captain: Sol Campbell

    On the Field

    • James
    • Johnson
    • Distin
    • Campbell
    • Hreidarsson
    • Utaka
    • Davis
    • Bouba Diop
    • Muntari
    • Kranjcar
    • Benjani

    Subs

    • Pamarot
    • Ashdown
    • Taylor
    • Mendes
    • Nugent

    Injured

    None

    Suspended

    None