Portsmouth 3 (Gunnarsson og 10, Kanu 52, Mendes 66)
Reading 1 (Doyle 84)

Portsmouth (4-4-2): James; Johnson, Stefanovic (c), Campbell, Primus (Pamarot HT); Mendes, O'Neil, Davis, Taylor; Benjani (LuaLua 71), Kanu (Cole 79)
Subs: Kiely, Kranjcar

Reading (4-4-2): Hahnemann; Gunnarsson, Shorey, Sonko, Ingimarsson (c); Harper, Sidwell, Seol (Oster 72), Convey (Lita 72); Doyle, Long (Little 53)
Subs: Federici, Bikey

Ref: P Dowd

Attendance: 20,146

The Royals went down 3-1 at Portsmouth on a disappointing afternoon for Steve Coppell's side at Fratton Park.

Pompey were dominant for the vast majority of the game, and could still afford the luxury of missing a number of chances, including an absolute sitter from Benjani.

Harry Redknapp's team went ahead when Brynjar Gunnarsson headed into his own net under pressure on 10 minutes, and Kanu made it two after the break. Pedro Mendes smacked home a third as the home side took complete control of the game.

Kevin Doyle turned home a consolation on 84 minutes from close range, just seconds after the Royals were denied a clear penalty for Mendes' handball on the line.

With sub Glen Little prominent, Reading looked for a late charge but it never came and Pompey took all three points to move up to fourth in the Premiership.


Full report
Portsmouth started vibrantly, and Gary O'Neil prodded just wide, then the midfielder had a free header inside the area but nodded straight at Hahnemann.

It was not a surprise when the home side went one up. Pedro Mendes' corner from the Pompey left wing was whipped in to the near post, where Kanu went up with Brynjar Gunnarsson, and the Icelander got the last touch to glance it in.

On 20 minutes Reading had their first attempt at goal, and David James needed two bites of the cherry to grab Steve Sidwell's header. Another set piece then gave the Royals a sight of goal as Doyle flicked over.

Midway through the half Portsmouth striker Benjani missed an absolute sitter, with the ball rolling under his foot from Kanu's cross as he only had to tap in from two yards with the goal gaping.

O'Neil then shot from range as Portsmouth took control, and Benjani had half-hearted penalty claims waved away. Reading were at sixes and sevens as Matthew Taylor was gifted possession but shot over outside the box.

Reading were finding it hard to keep the ball, but Sidwell had a good sight of goal from the edge of the area and could only drag wide.

Ten minutes before the break, Doyle's low cross was too hot for James to handle, and it bounced out to Convey, but the American was off balance and couldn't get any purchase on what looked a golden chance if it had fallen for him.

Reading up their play a little as the interval drew closer, but despite some pressure they couldn't create another chance and went in one down at the break.

Pompey came quickly out of the traps in the second half, and Benjani had a great chance to double the lead. James Harper let a long ball bounce, and the Zimbabwean nipped in to go clean through on goal. He tried the first-time chip but thankfully it bounced wide.

The home side had long threatened a second goal, and it finally came on 52 minutes. Ivar Ingimarsson headed Matthew Taylor's cross clear to the edge of the area, and it was dinked back in by Sol Campbell, with Kanu glancing home a simple header.

O'Neil went close to making it three, but dinked over as he was incorrectly flagged for offside.

Glen Little came on ten minutes into the half, and his presence gave Reading a lift as they kept hold of the ball and strung a couple of decent moves together. The wideman then put in a good low cross that Pamarot cleared, and Ingimarsson headed the resulting corner over.

Soon enough though Pompey restored their authority on the game, with Doyle trying to head clear from a corner, only to find Pedro Mendes on the edge of the box, and the Portuguese struck an excellent volley in off the post.

With Pompey rampant, Mendes then tested Hahnemann from 30 yards and the American had to produce a fine save. From the corner, he again denied Taylor as Harry Redknapp's side dominated.

Coppell made another couple of changes, bringing on John Oster and Leroy Lita, and Gunnarsson then had a good chance but headed over from close range.

Reading were clearly denied a penalty when Gunnarsson's header was deliberately stopped by Mendes on the line with his left arm, but from the eventual corner Doyle turned home as James came and missed a cross.

A second Reading goal almost came, both from Ingimarsson's knockdown and then Little's jinking run, but sub Lomano Tresor LuaLua twice broke clear down the other end and was close to a fourth goal.

In the end the home side deservedly took victory, and it proved to be a disappointing afternoon for the Royals as they never really got a foothold in the match.