Kranjcar gives Pompey victory over West Ham
Harry Redknapps men win drab game at Upton Park
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Everton kept their hopes of European football alive with a 1-0 win over Derby County at Goodison Park. |  |
Tuesday, 08, Apr 2008 10:21
A single second-half strike from Niko Kranjcar was enough for Portsmouth to take all three points away at West Ham United.
Harry Reknapp's team travelled to London looking to continue their push for fifth place and a Uefa Cup spot ahead of Everton, while the hosts were keen to finish a relatively disappointing season on a high.
However, neither side seemed to bring any real enthusiasm to the game on a night when all eyes were on Champions League matches taking place elsewhere in the country.
Portsmouth looked the most likely to break the deadlock, with David Nugent failing to make the most of a rare start and only managing to drag a half-volley wide of the goal after fine work by Pedro Mendes.
Mendes then threatened from long-range while David James was forced to push a swerving Dean Ashton shot round the post for a corner in the dying seconds of the first half.
The match failed to ignite after the interval and it was a rare piece of class from Kranjar on the hour mark which settled it, with the Croatian turning in the box and firing a low shot into the corner past Robert Green.
From then on, Portsmouth's defensive veterans Sol Campbell and Sylvain Distin were able to fend off West Ham's search for an equaliser as Carlton Cole and teenage substitute Freddie Sears pushed forward.