Pompey suffer home defeat to Blackburn

Portsmouth 1 Blackburn 2

Portsmouth tumbled to their first home defeat since March and out of the Carling Cup as goals by Benni McCarthy and Morten Gamst Pedersen earned Blackburn a place in the quarter-finals.

McCarthy’s simple tap-in came on 12 minutes and reflected Blackburn’s superiority, but Pompey were fighting back after a double change at half time when Pedersen capitalised on an error by Pedro Mendes with 14 minutes left.

Kanu’s consolation goal deep in stoppage time came too late to matter and home fans were left ruing a miserable miss by fellow substitute David Nugent, the £6 million signing missing a sitter from two yards 10 minutes after the break.

Blackburn, who like their rivals fielded virtually a full-strength side, chalked up their seventh successive win and ended Pompey’s unbeaten seven-match run.

Pompey were without the injured Sulley Muntari and Hermann Hreidarsson but Sean Davis returned from suspension to join Papa Bouba Diop and Pedro Mendes in midfield and Noe Pamarot filled in at left-back.

Lone striker Benjani Mwaruwari provided an early threat with a run down the left but made a mess of his cross after cutting in to the edge of the area.

David James ran 20 yards outside his box to rob Roque Santa Cruz when Pedersen slipped the Paraguay striker through the middle and the goalkeeper’s clearance was helped onto John Utaka whose blistering right-wing run was ruined by an overhit cross.

James, though, should have been left helpless in the ninth minute when, from David Bentley’s corner, Christopher Samba was left with a free header but put it over the bar.

But Blackburn had to wait only three minutes more to take the lead.

It was a poor goal from Pompey’s point of view, with McCarthy left totally unmarked to slot home Aaron Mokoena’s right-wing cross from about eight yards, his fourth goal in as many games.

It was not until Glen Johnson came raiding along the right that Portsmouth forced their first corner in the 17th minute but Niko Kranjcar’s delivery was comfortably cleared by the commanding Ryan Nelsen.

There was a shock for Blackburn when Mokoena, who had just come back on the field after treatment for a knock suddenly collapsed, grabbing his knee, and a stretcher was summoned.

But two substitutions before the break, Brett Emerton for Mokoena and Matt Derbyshire for David Bentley, did little to disrupt Rovers rhythm.

Pompey boss Harry Redknapp made two changes of his own at half time, bringing on Matt Taylor and Nugent for Pamarot and Diop.

Nugent, whose goals saw off Leeds and Burnley in previous rounds, was slow moving to a perfectly-weighted cross by Taylor and Benjani failed to make contact with a similar effort by Utaka from the right.

And with the goal gaping two yards out following Utaka’s cross, the former Preston star somehow failed to head home from two yards on 55 minutes.

Rovers came under the cosh but five minutes later would have sealed victory but for yet another outstanding save from James.

Samba’s thundering shot looked a goal all the way until the veteran goalkeeper clawed it over his crossbar. James saved again when David Dunn belted a low free-kick from 30 yards.

But with 14 minutes left Pedersen sealed a quarter-final place for Rovers. Benjani had just been replaced by Kanu when Mendes lost possession just inside his own area and although he recovered to block Santa Cruz’s shot, the ball ran loose for the Norwegian to rifle home.

Kanu headed in Johnson’s stoppage-time free-kick but it did little to cheer the vast majority of a disappointing crowd below 12,000.