[lfc-news] Portsmouth report - PA

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PA Sport, 20 April 2005
Portsmouth 1 Liverpool 2.

Liverpool found a cure for their Barclays Premiership travel sickness as
goals from Fernando Morientes and Luis Garcia condemned new Portsmouth
boss Alain Perrin to his first defeat on Wednesday night.

The two Spaniards' strikes were Liverpool's first away from home in the
league since their last Premiership win on the road on February 1.

But their attempt to climb back into the fourth Champions League
position was thwarted by news of a Duncan Ferguson winner for Mersey
rivals Everton against nine-man Manchester United.

Liverpool boss Rafael Benitez, who kept Steven Gerrard on the bench for
68 minutes, will be delighted, however, with his side's sharp display
against a Pompey side always difficult to beat at Fratton Park.

The home side certainly showed their fighting qualities as record
signing Diomansy Kamara smuggled in a 33rd-minute equaliser but it took
a bold display by keeper Jamie Ashdown to prevent Liverpool winning
convincingly.

There were near misses and spurned opportunities aplenty in a thrilling
first half and there was more of the same after the break.

The £6 million Morientes netted at the second attempt from John Arne
Riise's cross in only the fourth minute but Lomana LuaLua had already
had an effort disallowed and Milan Baros wasted a good chance.

And Morientes should have scored a second goal for Liverpool in the 26th
minute when after a raid by Sami Hyypia, Steve Finnan's cross found the
tall striker unchallenged 10 yards out at the far post, but he headed
off target.

Pompey were guilty of poor marksmanship, too. Kamara hesitated inside
the Liverpool area when a chance looked like opening up and when a
lovely ball by Gary O'Neil sent LuaLua in to lob neatly over Jerzy
Dudek, the keeper scrambled back to palm away under the bar.

Pompey raised the volume with an equaliser two minutes later by Kamara
following an O'Neil corner.

Dejan Stefanovic flicked on, Arjan de Zeeuw's diving header came back
off a post and Kamara forced home the rebound for his sixth of the season.

But Kamara spurned another opening to put Pompey ahead eight minutes
later when a piece of magic by LuaLua left him one-on-one with Dudek
only for the keeper to spread himself bravely and block the shot.

And although they were lucky not to pay for that when Riise shot wide
from a Xabi Alonso cross on 42 minutes, there was no stopping Luis
Garcia heading the visitors back into the lead from a Riise cross in
first-half injury time.

Pompey were indebted to keeper Ashdown for preventing Liverpool wrapping
up victory early in the second half when he stuck out a foot to stop
Riise's drive, held Baros' shot on the turn and tipped over a Riise
rocket before defying the same pair with a brave double save.

Yet Steve Stone should have put the home side back on level terms on the
hour when he overran the ball inside the six-yard box following Matthew
Taylor's cross and ended up losing it altogether.

It still seemed only a matter of time until the Pompey goal was pierced
again but when they brought on ex-Liverpool man Patrik Berger - who
scored the winner against them last year - they had more firepower and
Dudek had to make a flying save to keep out the midfielder's 25-yarder.

Ashdown's outstanding stop to defy Xabi Alonso right at the end was
typical of the contest.

Portsmouth: Ashdown, Cisse, Stefanovic, De Zeeuw (Primus 45), Taylor,
Stone (Berger 66), Skopelitis, Hughes, O'Neil, Kamara, LuaLua (Fuller 76).
Subs Not Used: Hislop, Rodic.
Booked: Hughes.
Goals: Kamara 34.

Liverpool: Dudek, Finnan, Hyypia, Carragher, Traore, Luis Garcia (Smicer
45), Alonso, Biscan (Gerrard 67), Riise, Baros (Cisse 79), Morientes.
Subs Not Used: Pellegrino, Carson.
Goals: Morientes 4, Luis Garcia 45.

Att: 20,205
Ref: H Webb (S Yorkshire).

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