Portsmouth 4 – 0 Wigan
This Football Scores Live Report Is Taken From Syndicated Services. Live Football Scores UK Reproduced Article
Aruna Dindane scored a hat-trick as Portsmouth completed a memorable week with a superb display at Fratton Park.
Dindane dinked over Chris Kirkland to open the scoring before Frederic Piquionne raced clear to make it two.
After the break striker Dindane stabbed home from close range and completed his treble from the spot after Kanu was blatantly tripped by Emmerson Boyce.
Roberto Martinez’s Wigan, who have endured a difficult week off the pitch, never got going and were well beaten.
The victory caps a positive few days for Paul Hart’s side, who shrugged off a transfer embargo to demolish Stoke by the same score in the Carling Cup.
For Wigan, the negative effect of Marlon King’s prison sentence will surely not have helped the preparations for this game.
Martinez had warned before the match that Portsmouth’s lowly league position did not do justice to some of the attractive football they have been playing of late.
And the Spaniard was right to be concerned, as Hart’s side dominated from start to finish in a thoroughly impressive display.
It could have been 5-0 by half-time as the hosts, inspired by the excellent Jamie O’Hara and Michael Brown in midfield, set about building on their crushing midweek win.
Piquionne held on to his place in the side after scoring twice against the Potters, and he and Dindane wasted no time in causing the visiting defence problems.
Kevin-Prince Boateng had a decent chance as early as the first minute, blazing over from the edge of the box when completely unmarked while O’Hara dragged a shot wide soon after.
This Football Scores Live Report Is Taken From Syndicated Services. Live Football Scores UK Reproduced Article
But Dindane made no mistake just after the half-hour mark as the hosts finally made the most of their near-constant pressure.
A perfectly weighted ball from the impressive Brown dissected the ailing Wigan defence and sent Dindane clean through.
The Ivory Coast striker still had work to do as he closed in on goal but dinked the ball over the advancing Kirkland in some style.
Dindane then turned provider three minutes into first-half injury time – slipping the ball into the path of Piquionne who managed to stay onside despite the Wigan defence’s dangerously high line.
The striker raced into the box and smashed the ball under Kirkland, who again could not bail out his under-performing team-mates.
Wigan’s efforts were aptly summed up by Hugo Rodallega’s woeful free-kick from 30 yards that was more akin to a rugby conversion, and they continued to struggle after the break.
Portsmouth, meanwhile, picked up where they left off with the rampant Dindane seeing a powerful shot deflect off Titus Bramble and go just wide.
The Fratton Park faithful suffered a cruel blow moments later though when Piquionne was carried off on a stretcher after a seemingly innocuous clash of heads.
The striker went up with Boyce and appeared to be just shaken but was soon taken off wearing a neck brace.
This Football Scores Live Report Is Taken From Syndicated Services. Live Football Scores UK Reproduced Article
It made no difference though as Dindane immediately linked up with substitute Kanu to make it 3-0.
O’Hara pulled the ball back to the Nigerian inside the box and from his teasing cross Dindane got in front of the Wigan defence to stab home.
Dindane deserved a hat-trick to cap a fine individual and team display, and he was duly given his opportunity from the spot when Boyce tripped Kanu late on.
Portsmouth manager Paul Hart:
“We got a result for our efforts which has been lacking in recent weeks. We’ve been working hard for months without having a lot to show for it.
“We set off like trains and we kept that up for the full 90 minutes.
“I’ve been stood here every Saturday trying to explain why we haven’t got the results. That was certainly a reward for our efforts.”
Wigan manager Roberto Martinez:
“We had a couple of half-chances but our standards are a lot higher than that and it just wasn’t good enough from us.
“No complaints. Portsmouth started the game with huge intensity and that’s what we were lacking.
“We were chasing the game far too much and the intensity in our play was not enough.
“We were nowhere near good enough. When you play like we did today you’re going to get punished away from home. We have to go away and put that right.”
This Football Scores Live Report Is Taken From Syndicated Services. Live Football Scores UK Reproduced Article
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