Frederic Piquionne scored twice as Portsmouth overcame Birmingham 2-0 at Fratton Park to advance to the semi-finals of the FA Cup.
Portsmouth sink Birmingham 2-0 to reach FA Cup semis
Frederic Piquionne scored twice as Portsmouth overcame Birmingham 2-0 at Fratton Park to advance to the semi-finals of the FA Cup.
Relegation from the Premier League looks a foregone conclusion after a dramatic decline over the past couple of years, but Pompey are now just two steps away from repeating their Wembley triumph of 2008 after a hard-fought victory over Alex McLeish's Blues.
Chances were few and far between in an uninspiring first half, although John Utaka forced Joe Hart into action within 10 seconds and David James showed good agility to deny Cameron Jerome at his near post after a neat Birmingham move.
The game exploded into life after the interval and Piquionne poked Portsmouth in front in the 67th minute following a goalmouth scramble involving Hart, Scott Dann and Danny Webber.
If Piquionne's opener was scrappy, he showed his class just three minutes later when he latched onto a Jamie O'Hara pass and twisted his way past Roger Johnson before slotting a shot home.
Birmingham thought they had reduced their arrears 10 minutes from time when Liam Ridgewell's header appeared to bounce over the goalline before James clawed the ball away, but the goal was not awarded.
The visitors continued to press in the final stages but Pompey held on to make it through to the last four.
Barely tested
There was little to do early on for the two England goalkeepers on display, with James looking to re-establish himself as Fabio Capello's first choice and Hart tipped as a future number one.
They were barely tested during a first 45 minutes short of entertainment and goalmouth action, despite Birmingham having James McFadden in their forward line after overcoming groin problems during the week.
Utaka, one of three survivors in the starting XI from Pompey's winning team in 2008, took just eight seconds to drill a shot at Hart - but it was not a sign of things to come.
James, Utaka and Hermann Hreidarsson offered a reminder of Wembley two seasons ago when Pompey defeated Cardiff, with the likes of Lassana Diarra and Sulley Muntari then sold at a profit but the club still plunging into financial crisis.
Adrift at the foot of the Premier League and with the threat of a nine-point deduction hanging over them for entering administration, the commitment of Avram Grant's men could not be questioned. O'Hara had been struggling with a back problem but insisted on playing.
In James, Grant has a goalkeeper desperate to get back ahead of Robert Green in the England pecking order and he tidily dealt with Birmingham's only chance of the first half. Lee Bowyer unselfishly set up Jerome and James thwarted the striker with a save at the near post.
Aside from Jerome's chance, the tie became a midfield battle with Michael Brown and Bowyer leading each side. One tackle from Brown, on his central-midfield opponent, earned a yellow card.
It meant flowing football did not figure prominently. When Nadir Belhadj did spot the chance of a counter-attack and tried to switch play, his ball to Webber was accidentally blocked by referee Steve Bennett.
Utaka had sight of goal just before the break when O'Hara sent him down the left but he flashed over the crossbar after cutting inside and forcing Stephen Carr to backtrack.
Threatening
There was more of the same after the restart, with neither side threatening with intent and both defences on top.
The visitors had Johnson in their defence and he was looking for revenge after being in the Cardiff side that lost to Pompey nearly two years ago.
He and Dann at the centre of Birmingham's defence meant it needed something special for the hosts to make an impression - and Piquionne provided it.
The French striker made no mistake from close range for the opener. Steve Finnan put the ball back in the danger area after a corner and found Utaka, Hart looked to have the situation under control but Dann crashed into him and the ball fell for Piquionne to tap in.
Piquionne's second came three minutes later. O'Hara played him through and the striker twisted and turned around Johnson before planting his finish past Hart for his fourth goal in three games.
There was time for James to pull off a stunning double save, although Ridgewell's header from close range looked over the line on replays.
| Portsmouth |
Team Statistics |
Birmingham City |
| 2 |
Goals |
0 |
| 0 |
1st Half Goals |
0 |
| 5 |
Shots on Target |
5 |
| 6 |
Shots off Target |
5 |
| 7 |
Blocked Shots |
4 |
| 9 |
Corners |
8 |
| 12 |
Fouls |
11 |
| 2 |
Offsides |
4 |
| 1 |
Yellow Cards |
1 |
| 0 |
Red Cards |
0 |
| 71.8 |
Passing Success |
74.5 |
| 10 |
Tackles |
16 |
| 70 |
Tackles Success |
75 |
| 44 |
Possession |
56 |
| 52.5 |
Territorial Advantage |
47.5 |
|
