Pompey return to winning ways

Portsmouth picked up their first win in five games with a 2-0 win at ten-man Reading.

Pompey end winless run at struggling Royals

Reading continue to struggle at the back as they are comfortably beaten 2-0 at home to Portsmouth. A frantic start to the first-half saw Ibrahima Sonko concede a penalty and receive his marching orders inside three minutes. Benjani got goal-side of the defender and as Sonko tried to rectify his error he only succeeded in tripping the Pompey striker. Niko Krancjar's resulting spot-kick struck the post though and Reading thought that they had survived. They did not hold out for long, and on nine minutes the deadlock was broken through Sol Campbell. Marcus Hahnemann let a harmless cross slip through his hands and Campbell bundled home. The second-half saw few chances, but John Utaka raced away from Nicky Shorey on 66 minutes to round Hahnemann and wrap up the points for Harry Redkanpp's side. A full house at the Madejski Stadium had to wait all of three minutes for the prediction to become reality when Sonko was sent off for conceding his third penalty in four games. The centre-back allowed Benjani Mwaruwari to get goal-side of him, chasing Sulley Muntari's through-ball and referee Mike Dean had no hesitation in pointing to the spot when the Pompey front-man was impeded inside the box. A red card followed for the man the home fans call Superman but who is struggling to live up to that reputation having spent nine months out with a serious knee injury. Niko Kranjcar smacked the resulting spot-kick against a post, however, and the 10 men almost snatched the lead at the other end when Bobby Convey popped up in the box only to screw a good chance wide. The American was immediately substituted to allow defender Andre Bikey to fill the Sonko-shaped gap but within seconds, Reading's other USA international,goalkeeper Marcus Hahnemann, had gifted Pompey a ninth-minute lead.

Gifted

James Harper was aggrieved that referee Dean penalised him for a touchline challenge on Papa Bouba Diop but Muntari's free-kick into the box should have been an easy catch for the 35-year-old. Instead, he spilled it on to the head of Diop, with Campbell applying the finish on the line after it had bounced off Kalifa Cisse. It was the Pompey skipper's first goal in just over a year. Hahnemann was able to save efforts from Benjani, Muntari and Kranjcar before Utaka volleyed over as Portsmouth used their extra man to dominate and there was a let-off when Diop lost his marker, Cisse, only to head over from close range. A chance did come Reading's way just before the break when Stephen Hunt set up Kevin Doyle but David James was able to deflect the ball away off his legs to keep his side level and there was still time for a let-off at the other end when Benjani saw a header bounce off the bar in stoppage time.

Clincher

The home side had to admit defeat in the 66th minute however when the previously-quiet Utaka showed astonishing pace to over-take England defender Shorey in pursuit of Glen Johnson's through-ball. The Nigerian had little difficulty in bypassing Hahnemann and locating an empty net to record his fourth goal since his summer switch from Rennes. Hunt fluffed the chance of a consolation when he missed his kick completely after Doyle had found him beyond the back post but there was relief for the home side at the other end when a low Muntari drive missed by a matter of inches.

Reading	Team Statistics	Portsmouth
0	Goals	2
0	1st Half Goals	1
4	Shots on Target	9
4	Shots off Target	7
3	Blocked Shots	4
5	Corners	4
11	Fouls	7
0	Offsides	3
3	Yellow Cards	1
1	Red Cards	0
73.1	Passing Success	88.6
14	Tackles	17
78.6	Tackles Success	64.7
38.4	Possession	61.6
41.1	Territorial Advantage	58.9