City get back on track

Portsmouth 1 Manchester City 3

Portsmouth fans keen to show their support for manager Harry Redknapp were eventually silenced by two late Manchester City goals at Fratton Park.

The goals, from Frenchman Antoine Sibierski on 78 minutes and Dutchman Paul Bosvelt on 86, came right at the end but were undoubtedly deserved by Kevin Keegan’s team who registered their first win in six games.

They also condemened Pompey to three Premiership defeats in a row and a rare home setback. But, although it cannot strengthen his position, it has to be recognised that Redknapp is struggling badly to field a team because of injuries to his main strikers Yakubu and Diomansy Kamara.

The game started in a blaze of goals but then fizzled out for a long spell. Shaun Wright-Phillips had opened the scoring before Gary O’Neil levelled for the home side.

It was a damp cold evening but that did not stop showman Redknapp coming out before the kick-off in one of his best suits to proudly accept the manager of the month award for October.

Since the end of that month, of course, Pompey – having beaten Manchester United impressively – have lost two away games and needed the points at ‘fortress Fratton’.

But if chairman Milan Mandaric ever had any doubts about the support, the roar from the home crowd to greet ‘Arry’ must have reminded him. It was as resonant as ever.

Redknapp had played the placatory gentleman in his programme notes, “welcoming” new executive director Velimir Zajec with whom he said, a week ago, he would never work.

City, though, almost cut through the Pompey defence in the opening two minutes in the shape of Nicolas Anelka and Wright-Phillips but their inter-change was just off key and reserve keeper Jamie Ashdown was decisively off his line for the claim.

Wright-Phillips, with the racist taunts of Sain fans while on England duty clearly firmly behind him, was soon sprinting clear of the cover again down the right with his electric pace but his low cross was hacked away before it could reach Anelka and Paul Bosvelt in the centre.

It was surely only a matter of time, however, before the winger’s skills proved devastating and, after six minutes, the England winger popped up in the inside left position to take advantage of a slip by Dejan Stefanovic, waltz round David Unsworth and fire unerringly past the keeper.