Eleven Goals At Fratton Park

There was an amazing and thrilling game at Fratton Park this weekend as Portsmouth and Reading exchanged, an almost hard to believe, 11 goals. Portsmouth’s Benjani was the hero scoring a hat-trick as Pompey ran out 7-4 winners. Don’t get too many scores like that in the Premiership. Sounds more like a game down the local park on a Sunday morning, doesn’t it?

Anyway, Benjani opened the scoring after just seven minutes as he played in John Utaka before racing into the box to convert his team-mate’s cross. He then made it 2-0 after 37 minutes with a run and low shot. However Reading bounced back and levelled at the end of the first half when Stephen Hunt’s header made sure after Liam Rosenior’s shot appeared to bounce over the line after hitting the crossbar. David James gifted Reading a second goal on 48 minutes when rashly racing out of his box to allow Dave Kitson in for the 100th goal of his career.

But poor goalkeeping from James’ opposite number, Marcus Hahnemann, enabled Hermann Hreidarsson to head Pompey back in front on 55 minutes before James redeemed himself by saving Nicky Shorey’s penalty after Papa Bouba Diop was penalised for handball.

It was then left to Benjani to complete his hat-trick which he duly did on 70 minutes after being played in by Sulley Muntari. But that wasn’t then end of the scoring as Niko Kranjcar headed a fifth goal on 75 minutes. James Harper’s volley deflected in off substitute Shane Long for Reading on 79 minutes, but Pompey replied straight away as Sean Davis’ shot deflected off Ivar Ingimarsson for 6-3.

Pompey’s hat-trick hero, Benjani

In the final minute, Muntari made the scoreline an unbelievable 7-3 by converting a penalty after Kranjcar was brought down in the box, and yet there was still time for a fourth Reading goal as Shorey’s shot was deflected past James. If the final whistle hadn’t have blown, who knows what the scoring would have ended up as!

Back to more normal games, Arsenal remained in first place in the Premier League table after they beat London rivals West Ham United 0 - 1 at Upton Park. Arsenal grabbed the only goal at West Ham on 13 minutes when Alexander Hleb’s cross to the far post was headed in by Robin van Persie.

Meanwhile, what appears to be Arsenal’s main rivals with the sudden “demise” of Chelsea, Manchester United and Liverpool both won 1 - 0 away from home.

Cristiano Ronaldo scored the only goal of the game as Manchester United defeated Birmingham to secure their fifth successive Premier League victory.

Blues missed a number of good chances before the interval and were made to pay when Franck Queudrue allowed Ronaldo to escape into the area and he slotted home after rounding Maik Taylor.

There was a hard-fought battle at The JJB Stadium saw Liverpool nick the points against Wigan Athletic on 75 minutes when Yossi Benayoun twisted smartly in the box before finishing past former Reds keeper Chris Kirkland. It was Benayoun’s first goal for the Reds in the League and it was certainly a very welcome one for Rafa Benítez, especially after Torres had wasted some excellent chances to add to his hat-trick in the Carling Cup during the week. But I suppose Benítez would claim that’s why they have such a big rotating squad!

Chelsea dropped yet another two points, which you feel they just can’t afford to keep doing, having been held to a 0 - 0 draw in the west London derby against their close neighbours Fulham. In fact Chelsea were lucky to only drop two points. With a little more composure in front of goal Fulham could, in fact should, have scored 3 goals in about the last five minutes. it was Avram Grant’s first home game in charge of the Blues. But I wouldn’t get too familiar with Mr. Grant, aka The Ordinary One, if I were you, I don’t think he’s going to be around for too long.

Dropping two points though wasn’t the only bad news for Chelsea. They lost their captain John Terry at half-time with a suspected fractured cheekbone. And if that wasn’t enough, the returning Didier Drogba got himself sent off for a second bookable offence. An extremely high kung-fu style kick on Chris Baird that Jackie Chan would have been proud of!

Manchester City’s impressive start to the season continued in an excellent end to end game that ended in a 3 - 1 win over Newcastle United. The Magpies, minus the injured Michael Owen, took the lead on 29 minutes after Obafemi Martins showed great skill to control Geremi’s searching pass before finishing past Joe Hart.

City drew level before half-time when Martin Petrov scored at the far post from Stephen Ireland’s cross and the Bulgarian turned provider two minutes into the second half as his cross was headed home astutely by Emile Mpenza.

But the best goal was saved for last when Brazilian schemer Elano let rip with an unstoppable free-kick into the top corner on 87 minutes. Fans at Eastlands must be rubbing their eyes and wondering what the hell is going on at the moment! Whilst England fans in general are probably doing the same and thinking why they hell couldn’t England play like this under Sven?

There was already a huge “six-pointer” as Derby County took on Bolton Wanderers. However, the result didn’t really do either team any favours as it finished in a 1 - 1 draw. Kenny Miller put Derby ahead on 19 minutes after combining with Steve Howard, but Nicolas Anelka’s deflected shot on 32 minutes secured Bolton a point.

Up at The Stadium of Light, a two-goal blast in the space of two second-half minutes enabled the ever improving Blackburn Rovers to claim the points from Sunderland.

Mark Hughes, up against former Man Utd team-mate Roy Keane for the first time as managers, saw his side take the lead on 53 minutes when David Bentley finished after Roque Santa Cruz’s shot deflected into his path.

Those two were involved for the second goal on 55 minutes as Bentley pounced on Danny Higginbotham’s poor backpass and, after his shot was saved, he showed good awareness to head across for Santa Cruz to finish. Grant Leadbitter curled home a last-minute consolation for Sunderland, but it was too little, too late for the hosts.

All of Saturday Results

Birmingham 0 Man Utd 1
Chelsea 0 Fulham 0
Derby 1 Bolton 1
Man City 3 Newcastle 1
Pompey 7 Reading 4
Sunderland 1 Blackburn 2
West Ham 0 Arsenal 1
Wigan 0 Liverpool 1

Meanwhile on Sunday, Middlesbrough’s miserable run at Goodison Park continued as they crashed to a 2-0 defeat against Everton. Joleon Lescott and Steven Pienaar handed Everton the victory and ensured Boro’s seven-year run without a league win at the Blue half of Merseyside continues. It is a little fortunate for David Moyes, the Everton manager that Lescott and Pienaar where both on target as his strike force continues to struggle in front of goal.

Menawhile Gareth Southgate Boro’s boss would probably sell his grandmother at the moment for a goal. This was Middlesbrough’s third blank sheet in four games without a win, ouch! The win moved Everton into fifth place.

The Soccer Blogger