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Match Report
Everton v Portsmouth 04 January 2005
Osman late show sinks Pompey
Everton 2 - 1 Portsmouth
Everton returned to winning ways after two straight defeats with a last-gasp 2-1 win over Portsmouth at Goodison Park.
Having paraded new signing James Beattie before kick-off, Everton spent most of the night looking like they needed his prowess in front of goal after spurning a host of chances.
However with time time running out, Leon Osman popped up with a dramatic last-minute winner to ensure The Toffees' European push stays very much on track.
Portsmouth's Diomansy Kamara had the first shot of the night, but his effort did not have the power to trouble Richard Wright.
The Senegalese striker threatened again two minutes later and only a superbly-timed interception from Gary Naysmith prevented him from breaking through for a clear sight of goal.
On ten minutes James McFadden, in yards of space down the left flank, pulled an intelligent ball back for Kevin Campbell whose goal-bound shot was bravely blocked by Arjan de Zeeuw.
Patrick Berger then tested Richard Wright with a bouncing long-range effort that the custodian was happy to push away.
McFadden was left infuriated that De Zeeuw was not penalised for a handball in the box on 23 minutes, although such was the power on the Scot's shot it would have been harsh on the defender if a penalty had been awarded.
The hosts hit the front on 31 minutes; Gravesen swung over a corner from the left and Alan Stubbs out-muscled Nigel Quashie at the far post to sneak a header just inside the unguarded post.
However, the lead was short-lived as Pompey hit back with a tremendous strike from Yakubu Aiyegbeni.
The Nigerian hit-man latched on to a misplaced header from Osman and powered past compatriot Joseph Yobo into the box before unleashing a thumping left-footed drive past Wright from an acute angle.
Osman almost made amends for his error before half time but saw a goal-bound volley scrambled away by de Zeeuw, while at the other end Berger's dipping volley from range flew narrowly over.
Kamara had the first effort of the second period and came within inches of putting the visitors ahead when he ambled outside Yobo before firing in a stinging drive that crashed just the wrong side of the post into the side netting.
Everton responded by carving out a very presentable chance of their own, Osman's quick turn in the box created an opportunity to cross and his ball to the far post was somehow headed into the ground and over by Tim Cahill under pressure from Quashie.
Berger saw another effort from distance fly narrowly over, while Osman shot wide after collecting an imaginative scooped through-ball from Cahill.
McFadden should have done better on 66 minutes after being picked out in the box by Gravesen, but the Scot hooked his right-foot volley over the bar.
Cahill came close to converting a Gravesen cross, and was then left infuriated when Everton were denied a corner after his back-post header was clearly diverted wide by Shaka Hislop.
The hosts piled forward in search of a winner and Gravesen was only denied by a fine Hislop stop having created himself a shooting opportunity on the edge of the box with some neat footwork.
Portsmouth repelled wave after wave of pressure and seemed to have done enough to have claimed a point, but were denied in the very last minute.
Kevin Kilbane climbed to direct a header into the box, and when substitute Matthew Taylor's attempted clearance cannoned off Linvoy Primus, Osman was in the right place to hammer a left-footed shot past Hislop and send Goodison Park into ecstasy.
Report From 
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