|
|
 |
|
|
|
Match Report
Leicecster v Portsmouth 08 May 2004
Foxes savage Pompey
Leicester 3- 1 Portsmouth
Relegated Leicster City ensured that they finished their home campaign on a high after dispatching a lacklustre Portsmouth 3-1 at the Walkers Stadium.
Harry Redknapp's men seemed to have their summer holidays on their minds in the first-half as some terrible defending allowed The Foxes to assume a 2-0 advantage.
Although the South Coast outfit improved in the second period the damage was done, and their excellent recent run came to an abrupt end.
Mickey Adams's men moved ahead on six minutes when Paul Dickov latched on to a flick-on from Marcus Bent and surged past Arjan de Zeeuw before pulling back a fierce cross which the retreating Matthew Taylor managed to deflect into his own net.
Muzzy Izzet, playing what was almost certain to be his last game in front of his home fans, struck the post with a wonderful dipping free-kick from 25 yards that Hislop could only watch clatter the woodwork and bounce to safety.
The visitors had a shout for a penalty when Lomano Lua-Lua fell under challenge from Nikos Dabizas in the box, but Graham Poll ruled the Greek had played the ball.
Moments later Dickov doubled the advantage. The abrasive Scot battled for the ball on the edge of the box with Dejan Stefanovic and, after it broke to Bent, anticipated his strike partner's lay-off to collect and curl home a sweet left-footed shot from 15 yards.
Izzet then flighted a clever free-kick on to the head of Bent but the striker's nod back across the six-yard box was well cleared by de Zeeuw.
Izzet was inches away from increasing the lead on the stroke of half-time when he beat two challenges before looping a volley over the head of Shaka Hislop and inches wide off the post.
Pompey boss Harry Redknapp appeared to have given his side a dressing down during the interval as the visitors began the second half with renewed verve, and Lua Lua wasted a glorious chance to drag his side back into the contest on 50 minutes.
Steve Stone looked up and flighted a delightful ball over the head of Dabizas and into the striker's path but the on-loan Newcastle star chose to take it first time and got his delicate left-foot volley all wrong.
Redknapp threw on an extra striker in the shape of Ivica Mornar on the hour mark and the imposing Croatian target-man was straight in the action but saw his drive blocked by Dabizas at full stretch.
The former Newcastle stopper was at it again moments later when he got a crucial touch on a Lua Lua shot after a mazy run from the hit-man.
Pompey got the goal their efforts deserved on 67 minutes; Matt Heath deflected Yakubu's innocuous-looking through ball into the path of Nigel Quashie who drilled home left-footed across Ian Walker.
The hosts responded instantly and Jordan Stewart almost capped a wonderful mazy run with a goal but was denied by a fine save from Hislop.
However, five minutes later the two-goal cushion was restored after yet more poor defending. Steve Guppy's left-wing cross was only partially cleared by Stefanovic and, although Hislop palmed out Dickov's resulting shot, James Scowcroft reacted quickest to fire home the rebound past Taylor on the line.
Chances ensued at either end with Hislop denying Dickov and Trevor Benjamin and Yakubu spurning a chance when clean through, but the hosts were always comfortable and signed off with a well-deserved win.
Report From  , For full report and stats, click here.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
