Harry's men get off the mark after sinking Toffees
Saturday, 30 Aug 2008 17:01
Jermain Defoe scored the 100th league goal of his career with a sublime chip.
Portsmouth have clinched their first win of the season after beating
Everton 3-0 at Goodison Park.
A brace from Jermain Defoe and a stunning strike from Glen Johnson gave Pompey the win, while Yakubu missed a second-half penalty for the Toffees.
Pompey were unchanged from the side that lost 1-0 to
Manchester United on Monday, while James Vaughan made his start of the season for the Merseysiders in place of 16-year-old Jose Baxter.
The visitors made the brighter start with Peter Crouch proving a handful for the Everton defence. And the ex-
Liverpool striker was involved in the opener on 13 minutes when his flick-on fell to Defoe, who bamboozled Joleon Lescott before whacking a shot from 10 yards into the corner.
Defoe came agonisingly close to doubling his tally five minutes later but was denied by a breathtaking one-handed save from Tim Howard.
At the other end, David James made an equally brilliant save on 23 minutes when he pushed Mikel Arteta's shot onto the post then smothered the rebound.
Everton spurned another chance to level on the half hour mark when Yakubu looked certain to tap in Leighton Baines' cross but Younes Kaboul scrambled the ball clear.
And Pompey punished their opponents' wastefulness in front of goal when Johnson traded passes with Defoe before firing the ball past James with the outside of his left foot on 40 minutes to make it 2-0.
Everton were gifted a golden opportunity to reduce their deficit at the start of the second half when Johnson was penalised for tripping Vaughan, but James stopped Yakubu's weak spot-kick.
David Moyes' men appealed for another penalty minutes later when Lescott tumbled in the box but the referee waved played on.
Pompey sealed victory 20 minutes from time when danger man Defoe lofted a chip which hit the crossbar and went over the line.
A despondent Everton side offered little in the remaining minutes with Goodison Park erupting into a chorus of boos at the full-time whistle.