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Premier League - Adebayor strikes as City beat Portsmouth

Emmanuel Adebayor helped Manchester City stay in touch with the other clubs fighting for fourth place in the Premier League with a 2-0 win over Portsmouth at Eastlands.
Adebayor, making his first start for City since the terrorist attack on the Togo squad before the African Cup of Nations, opened the scoring with five minutes of the first half remaining. Vincent Kompany then doubled City's lead just before the break.
City are now level with fifth-placed Liverpool on 41 points, while Pompey remain five points adrift at the bottom of the table as their dismal away form extended to just one league win in their last 24 matches on the road.

Roberto Mancini's side had all of the early possession, but Portsmouth had several chances to take the lead in the opening 10 minutes.
With just four minutes on the clock shay Given flapped at a cross and palmed it into the path of John Utaka, but the Nigerian could only send his shot from close range over the bar.
Soon afterwards Pompey had a genuine appeal for a penalty turned down when Danny Webber was shoved from behind by Javier Garrido, but referee Martin Atkinson waved play on.
Jamie O'Hara, starting his second loan spell of the season at Portsmouth, then had a shot from a short corner saved at the near post saved by Given.
City then began to see their attacks bear fruit, as Martin Petrov fired wide and Carlos Tevez and Stephen Ireland were both denied by David James.
Portsmouth were again unfortunate not to go in front when Anthony Vanden Borre latched on to a backheel from the byline by Utaka. The Belgian's shot was blocked by Ireland but it looped intot he air, only to rebound off the crossbar and be cleared.
City eventually took the lead on 40 minutes with a goal that was classic route one fare. Ireland sent a ball over the top of the defence and Adebayor brought it down with his first touch and prodded it past James and into the top corner with his second.
Kompany got his first league goal of the season in first-half stoppage time when he rose to meet a corner at the near post and head past James.
Portsmouth began the second half brightly, with O'Hara flashing a shot wide after a neat one-two with Kevin-Prince Boateng.
For all their endeavour and craft, however, it is their lack of success in front of goal that has cost them so dearly this season, and that was typified by a wasted chance from Danny Webber midway through the second half.
Angelos Basinas had a solid strike from distance saved by Given via a deflection, and the rebound fell to the former Sheffield United, but he miscued his attempted shot on the turn and he fell to the ground with the ball caught under his feet.
Carlos Tevez could have netted his 11th goal in nine league games, but he struck against the post after beating Vanden Borre inside the box.
Portsmouth could not rally as the clock ticked down, and City kept a clean sheet to continue their unbeaten home run against Pompey which stretches back to 1963.

Posted by CBN Extra Staff on 03 Feb 2010 [05:33] | Comments 0 |