In football’s catechism of cliché it is customary to claim that some one-season wonder is “frighteningly good”.

CHELSEA blew the chance to put one foot in the Champions League knockout stage last night but their failure to beat Genk was overshadowed by another racism storm for the beleaguered club.

Genk 1 Chelsea 1

Republic of Ireland defender Steve Finnan has been released by his club Portsmouth.

THE enduring frustration for David Moyes must be that despite such a fine finish to the season, the ones that got away cost Everton an unlikely place in Europe.

Everton 1 Portsmouth 0

Bolton 2 Portsmouth 2

ONE down, four to go. Aston Villa left it late, but they did what manager Martin O’Neill wanted – to win.

Portsmouth 1 Aston Villa 2

Wigan 0 Portsmouth 0

Portsmouth boss Avram Grant looks set to be without striker Aruna Dindane for their Barclays Premier League trip to Wigan tomorrow night.

Portsmouth will have Aruna Dindane available for Sunday’s FA Cup semi-final against Tottenham at Wembley before the Ivory Coast striker triggers an appearance clause in his loan agreement from Lens.

ROUND ONE to Tottenham Hotspur.

Tottenham 2 Portsmouth 0

Frank Lampard’s first-half double nudged Chelsea back towards the top of the Barclays Premier League table in a hard-fought clash with Aston Villa at Stamford Bridge.

Portsmouth will again check on the fitness of England goalkeeper David James (calf) ahead of the Barclays Premier League clash against Hull.

Portsmouth boss Avram Grant welcomes defender Ricardo Rocha back from a two-game ban for the trip to Liverpool on Monday night.

On-loan striker Frederic Piquionne is a doubt for Portsmouth’s Barclays Premier League match at Burnley tomorrow.

Portsmouth boss Avram Grant is set to welcome back Ireland international Steve Finnan for his side’s home clash with Stoke tomorrow.

Portsmouth boss Avram Grant made five changes to his starting XI for the Barclays Premier League clash against Sunderland at Fratton Park.

Portsmouth could be without Kevin-Prince Boateng and Anthony Vanden Borre for their Premier League clash with Sunderland at Fratton Park tomorrow.

THE major luxury for Alex Ferguson is that he rarely has to even think about what his strongest XI might be, but as Manchester United’s season belatedly begins to pick up some momentum, it is starting to show itself.

Manchester United 5 Portsmouth 0

Liverpool went fourth in the Barclays Premier League thanks to a 1-0 victory over local rivals Everton at Anfield in today’s early kick-off.

EMMANUEL Adebayor acknowledged the heavens in remembrance after scoring for the first time since the gun attack in Angola that left him fearing for his life.

PORTSMOUTH’S season hit rock bottom after Avram Grant’s side responded to the news that the club’s financial crisis has taken a significant turn for the worse with an embarrassing capitulation against an under-worked Arsenal side against the background of an increasingly venomous atmosphere at Fratton Park.

Portsmouth 1 Arsenal 4

Portsmouth 2 Aston Villa 4

Full-back Andy Wilkinson returned to Stoke’s starting line-up as manager Tony Pulis was forced into making a change in defence for the visit of bottom side Portsmouth.

Blackburn 3 Portsmouth 1

Portsmouth 4 Stoke City 0

REPUBLIC OF IRELAND midfielder Steven Reid made a return to action last night — playing 75 minutes of Blackburn Rovers’ 1-0 away Carling Cup Third victory over Nottingham Forest before being replaced by Irish team-mate Keith Andrews.

Burnley’s brilliant Barclays Premier League start counted for nothing against Barnsley tonight as Hugo Colace’s late winner left Owen Coyle’s men on the wrong end of an upset.

Portsmouth look set to rest England keeper David James because of a knee injury for tomorrow’s Carling Cup clash with Coca-Cola League Two Hereford.

Birmingham 1 Portsmouth 0

Anthony Vanden Borre is still waiting for international clearance to make his Portsmouth debut ahead of the Barclays Premier League trip to Birmingham.

Portsmouth goalkeeper David James started in the Premier League opener against Fulham despite missing England’s midweek friendly in Holland.

New Pompey signing Steve Finnan will miss tomorrow's season-opener against Fulham due to a hamstring problem.

AN INSPIRED Lille comfortably beat AC Milan to finish second in Group H behind the Italians and reach the knock-out stages for the first time in their history.

Chelsea goal hero Frank Lampard has every sympathy with the fans who shunned their opening Champions League game of the season against Anderlecht at Stamford Bridge last night.

Chelsea 1 Anderlecht 0

Frank Lampard delivered the perfect response to the critics who claim he is a shadow of his former self as Chelsea began their Champions League campaign with relative ease against a rather unambitious Anderlecht outfit.