City have come from behind for the second Saturday in a row, with goals from Reyna and Cole within three minutes of eachother giving the home side the win.
Stuart Pearce can now look forward to the Manchester derby in two weeks time with a 12 game unbeaten streak behind his team.
Match Report
And there was nearly a dream start for the Blues in the first minute. Musampa swung in a free kick from the right, and Andrew Cole flicked out his right boot instinctively with his back to goal. The ball looped goalwards, and Westerveld had to parry then collect to prevent what would have been an amazing goal.
A Mills throw-in had Pompey’s defence worried in the sixth minute, with Priske electing to dive and head the ball just round the post. After the ensuing corner, a Reyna shot from 25 yards whistled just wide of Westerveld’s left hand post.
City were having most of the play without really threatening again, but Pompey’s only forays forward resulted in wild shots from distance that did not pose any problems to David James.
Trevor Sinclair collected a yellow card for a challenge on Vignal after 15 minutes.
Barton and Reyna were linking well in midfield, and the US captain threaded a good pass through to Musampa, who’s testing low cross was stabbed away by Stefanovic.
On 21 minutes, Lua Lua danced through two challenges to hit a cross of his own in from the right of the City area, but Richard Dunne was in the right place at the right time to concede a corner, from which the visitors could not threaten anything.
A minute later, Robert tore down the left wing and into the area to drill a testing ball across James, but Lua Lua was just too late into the danger zone.
And only a minute after that Reyna got a shot in on target at the other end, after a fierce Mills free kick had been deflected to Musampa. Westerveld held on to the drive, but shortly after Musampa put in a cross that touched the cross bar before being knocked out for a corner, which the ‘keeper safely held.
There was a moment of worry with 10 minutes to go, when Lua Lua began to bear down on City’s box. But James, running outside of his area, made a certain challenge with his feet, with the Pompey striker deflecting the ball out of play.
Portsmouth’s captain, Stefanovich, went down with a worrying looking injury with five minutes to go to the break, his right leg going underneath him as he cleared an innocuous ball. After a long session of treatment on his ankle he was able to carry on, but with a distinct hobble.
And in time added on, Vassell should have put City into the lead. After robbing Priske, the pacey striker sped into the area and shot with his left foot, but despite one side of the ground getting to their feet to salute a goal, he had only found the side netting.
Half time: City 0-0 Portsmouth
Sun replaced Mills at half time.
Almost straight away there was danger for City, as Onuoha was robbed by O’Neil, who fed Lua Lua. Despite the shot looking to be going wide, James made sure with a dive and collect to his right.
Westerveld was forced into a save when a Dunne header from a free kick found Vassell. The striker nodded the ball towards the goal, and with Cole bearing down on him Pompey’s keepr dived among the feet to collect the ball.
But with seven minutes of the half gone, there was disaster for City as John Viafara put the visitors into the lead. A disputed free kick was knocked in by Robert, and Viafara rose unchallenged at the near post to head home.
City forced a fine save from Westerveld after 58 minutes, when Vassell threw himself at the ball after Cole had withstood a challenge. The Dutch ‘keeper fell to his right to push the chance just round the corner.
And on 66 minutes Claudio Reyna levelled the scores. Joey Barton’s cross from the right just eluded Vassell, but the striker’s dive may have put Westerveld off, the ‘keeper clumsily spilling the ball. Reyna was on hand from six yards to sweep the ball home to the delight and relief of the home fans.
Three minutes later, City took the lead through a typical Andrew Cole strike. Sinclair’s cross found Cole near the penalty spot with his back to goal, but he used his skill and strngth to turn and get his shot through a crowd and past Westerveld. In its own way, a magnificent goal.
On 73 minutes it could have been three, with a teasing Vassell cross just out of Cole’s reach at the far corner.
With the upper hand now, City were playing with greater confidence and the defence, as with the previous three games, looked solid and was able to keep the opposition at bay.
Cole nearly sealed the game in the last minute of the 90, when after collecting from Musampa on the edge of the box his shot on the turn just bent the wrong side of Westerveld’s left hand post.
Robert had a free kick in stoppage time, but rather than finding a team mate he elected to blast the ball, finding row Z in the process.
Injury time dragged on, but eventually referee Wiley blew to send City fans home with even more confidence ahead of the derby match in two weeks.
