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Match Report
Portsmouth v Everton 26 September 2004
Cahill sends Pompey packing
Portsmouth 0 - 1 Everton
Everton moved to within one point of Chelsea in second spot after edging out Portsmouth at Fratton Park courtesy of a Tim Cahill goal.
It was The Toffees third consecutive 1-0 win and their fourth consecutive clean sheet.
In a game largely devoid of clear-cut chances, Cahill took advantage of some slack defending at a set-piece to head the decisive goal ten minutes from time.
While neither side were at their best, Pompey boss Harry Redknapp will be disappointed to have taken nothing from the game.
Nigel Quashie had the first attempt in anger on 11 minutes and Nigel Martyn had to make a scrambling save to push his shot around the post after it had deflected off David Weir.
Everton responded and Steve Watson saw a volley clip the outside of the post after he had made a darting run to meet Kevin Kilbane's cross.
Quashie then fired in another effort from distance and went even closer when he saw the ball rebound to safety after crashing against the post with Martyn motionless.
On 20 minutes, Thomas Gravesen made a forceful run down left in behind Andy Griffin and got to the byline before squaring but, just as Bent seemed set to tap in, Stefanovic got in a vital foot to prod the ball to safety - allowing Hislop to collect.
The home fans appealed for penalty just after the half hour mark when Yakubu Aiyegbeni collapsed under challenge from Alan Stubbs - although in truth it should have been academic as Amdy Faye subsequently shot wide from a good position when the ball broke to him.
David Unsworth had to be alert to deny his former club as he got in an important header to deny Tim Cahill when the midfielder looked set to nod home Marcus Bent's flick-on.
Yakubu shot into the side-netting on the stroke of half-time but the striker ought to have laid back to Patrick Berger on the edge of the box who had a far better shooting angle.
Unsworth opened the second period with a rasping drive from range but it was close enough to Martyn not to prove dangerous.
Substitute Duncan Ferguson then played in Bent and the former Ipswich star checked back before firing a left-foot shot narrowly over the bar from the edge of the box.
Bent was off target again five minutes later, dragging wide after poor control had given the Pompey backline a chance to pressurise him.
David Weir nearly became the most unlikely of opening scorers on 69 minutes but guided a header just wide after a clever run to meet a near-post corner, while two minutes later Quashie saw another effort from distance dealt with by Martyn.
Lua Lua blazed a free-kick wastefully over the bar from a promising position on 77 minutes after Tony Hibbert had tripped Diomansy Kamara on the edge of the box.
The pair clashed again three minutes later in the Portsmouth half but this time the decision went in Hibbert's favour and it was to prove crucial. Gravesen floated the subsequent free-kick to the far post and Cahill sprung above Andy Griffin to plant a firm header wide of Shaka Hislop.
The Australian international almost doubled the lead three minutes later when Ferguson won an identical set-piece, but Hislop just beat him to the ball.
It was to prove the last chance of note, and when match official Dermot Gallagher ruled that Kamara was culprit and not the victim after going down in the Everton box, Pompey fans knew it was not to be their day.
Report From  , For full report and stats, click here.
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