Swansea knock out FA Cup holders Portsmouth
Tony Adams saw his side limp out of FA Cup
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Saturday, 24, Jan 2009 09:22
FA Cup holders Portsmouth have been knocked out of the competition after suffering a 2-0 defeat at home to Swansea.
Portsmouth were poor for much of the game today and goals from Nathan Dyer and Jason Scotland guided Swansea to a famous victory.
Surprisingly it was Championship side Swansea who started the game more brightly. They passed the ball around with confidence and deservedly took the lead after 27 minutes.
Swansea striker Scotland played a beautifully weighted through-ball into the path of Dyer who calmly chested the ball down and scored past David James. The goal was extra special for Dyer, who is on loan at the Welsh side from Southampton and was getting booed by Pompey fans.
The home supporters would have expected a positive reaction from their players after going a goal down. But instead it was the away fans who were jumping for joy before the interval.
Nadir Belhadj was penalised for fouling Swansea midfielder Jordi Gomes inside the penalty area and the Swans were awarded a penalty. Scotland stepped and beat the imposing James to send the Swansea fans into dreamland.
The holders of the FA Cup suffered the indignity of being booed off at half-time by their own fans but they deserved nothing less for their disappointing first-half performance.
Portsmouth were just as poor in the second-half as they were in the first as they limped out of a competition in which they had so much success last year.
Elsewhere, non-league side Torquay held Coventry for 90 minutes but suffered stoppage-time despair as Elliot Ward headed home a winner for Coventry.
Chelsea were being held 1-1 by Ipswich for a lengthy period in their match, before Michael Ballack (2) and Frank Lampard goals saw them win 3-1.
Championship relegation strugglers Doncaster Rovers earned a replay against Aston Villa after holding the Premier League side to a 0-0 draw.