The Portsmouth feel-good story – at least the FA Cup version of it – continued on Saturday afternoon, as the team that doesn’t know if they will be in business in a couple of months will go to Wembley Stadium, after seeing off Birmingham 2-0 in a quarterfinal match before a full house at Fratton Park.
After a lackluster first half, Frederic Piquionne, on loan (from Lyon) like so many of the Pompey players, scored twice in a three-minute span in the second half to see Portsmouth on to a semifinal for the second time in three years. Pompey won the Cup in 2008 – something many people have said contributed more than anything else to the current financial status – but their fans, facing almost sure relegation, will be thrilled to have something to play for.
The first half was in one word, forgettable, as the commentary put it best: “It looks like a possession training exercise without goals.” Both teams had once chance of note, Birmingham’s Cameron Jerome forcing David James into action in the 16th minute, while John Utaka got himself behind Stephen Carr in first-half stoppage time, but his shot was way over the crossbar.
While it was Birmingham who did have the better of the play in the first half, Portsmouth – as they’ve done several times this season – came out of the locker room a different side, putting Joe Hart to work almost immediately as Utaka’s well-timed run in the 47th minute was cut out by Hart at the final instant.
But it was Piquionne, mainly with his work ethic, who looked most dangerous. After a couple of half-chances almost saw him break through, Pompey finally got their goal in the 67th minute. A corner was cleared to Danny Webber 25 yards from goal, and his volley was scuffed, but it bouned right to Piquionne, who toepoked it toward Hart. Hart made the save, but teammate Scott Dann and he got to the rebound at the same time, which served to tee it up for Piquionne, who scored from a yard out.
It was a deserved goal, and he doubled the advantage three minutes later when Webber picked him out, he turned the Birmingham defense and slotted it through Hart’s legs for a pretty goal.
Pompey let off the gas after that, and Birmingham scored in the 80th minute, even though it didn’t count. Ironically, almost at the exact time FIFA said it was not looking into goal-line technology for the time being, Lee Bowyer’s header was saved by James, and Liam Ridgewell bundled home the rebound.
Only somehow the goal wasn’t given, although it was a yard over the goal line before James pushed it out. Birmingham had a couple of other chances, but it wasn’t their day.
It was most assuredly, however, Pompey’s day, as Avram Grant – uncharacteristically – showed plenty of emotion at the final whistle, as did his players, who saluted the fans who have stuck with their club through the mostly thin of the 2009-2010 season.
Fittingly, most of them left Fratton Park singing one of the best songs in all of football:
“Que Sera Sera
Whatever will be, will be
We’re going to Wem-bley
Que Sera Sera”
To Wembley it is for Pompey.
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