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 £6million 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.
Teams:
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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