Match Report

Portsmouth v Aston Villa 23 August 2005

10-man Villa survive

Portsmouth 1 - 1 Aston Villa

Portsmouth secured their first point of the season but will feel they dropped two in a 1-1 draw with 10-man Aston Villa at Fratton Park.

Nolberto Solano was sent off after 11 minutes, but Villa immediately took the lead when Richard Hughes headed into his own net.

The home side were not to be denied and deservedly equalised with a wonderfully taken curler from Tresor Lomana Lua Lua just before half time.

Pompey, who collected no points from their opening two games, began in positive fashion, much to the delight of the home faithful who responded by raising the decibel level at Fratton Park.

Lua Lua should have given the home side the lead after nine minutes but he failed to get any purchase on Laurent Robert's corner giving Thomas Sorensen the chance to collect the ball from three yards out.

Villa found themselves a man down just seconds later when referee Graham Poll adjudged Solano to have caught Hughes in the face after being fouled by the Pompey man.

The visitors were actually awarded the free kick, however Poll decided the Peruvian's actions were deliberate and gave him his marching orders.

Rather than dwell on losing a key player, Gareth Barry played in the resulting free kick and Hughes, attempting to prevent Kevin Phillips getting in a header, diverted the ball into his own net.

Pompey responded but Robert's long-range effort was collected by Sorensen while at the other end Phillips' drive from distance was easily collected by Sander Westerveld.

The home side continued to create the better of the chances and Lua Lua was desperately unlucky not to hit the target when he connected with John Viafara's back post cross.

David O'Leary decided he wanted to keep things tight at the back and took off Phillips for Ulises de la Cruz in order to bolster his numbers at the back.

His decision to change the formation proved costly with Lua Lua's superb curling effort drawing the home side level on the stroke of half time.

Villa were just minutes from going into the interval ahead, but the former Newcastle man drifted past de la Cruz outside the area before drilling an unstoppable shot past Sorensen.

The visitors could still have led at half time with Peter Whittingham's free kick striking Westerveld's bar and rebounding to safety.

Pompey continued to pile on the pressure after the break and only superb defending from Steven Davis denied Viafara at the back post from Gregory Vignal's left wing cross.

Although Villa's chances were few and far between in the second half Olof Mellberg came close to netting, but his back post header was wide of the target.

Gary O'Neil had a sight of goal from a short corner for Alain Perrin's side, however his guided side-footed effort was watched wide by Sorensen.

The home side should have been ahead just after the hour mark, but with the goal gaping, O'Neil somehow failed to find the target.

Robert did superbly down the left in skipping past a few defenders, however O'Neil failed to match the build-up work by his French colleague with a finish of similar calibre.

Lua Lua then turned provider for Robert and he set the former Newcastle man away down the left although Sorensen got down well to his left to parry the winger's effort out for a corner.

Villa's ambition faded with every passing moment and that left the home faith frustrated at failing to make that all-important breakthrough.

Hughes should have done better in the closing stages but dragged his shot wide after Robert cleverly flicked the ball back into the danger area from a long throw-in.

In the end Villa defended superbly and thoroughly deserved their point at Fratton Park, after being forced to battle with just 10 men for most of the encounter.

Portsmouth	Team Name	Aston Villa
1	Goals	1
5	Shots on target ( Inc Goals )	1
9	Shots off Target (inc woodwork)	4
6	Blocked Shots	2
13	Corners Won	2
11	Total Fouls Conceded	11
2	Offsides	1
3	Yellow Cards	1
0	Red Cards	1
53%	Possession	47%

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