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Portsmouth 1-2 Birmingham City
Match Reports, 22:05, March 9, 2010 ,
A first half brace from Birmingham striker Cameron Jerome proved enough to secure all three points for the Blues at Fratton Park.
Jerome struck on 16 and 42 minutes to fire Birmingham back into eighth in the league table and gain revenge for his team's FA Cup defeat at Fratton Park on Saturday. An injury time goal from Nwankwo Kanu proved to be merely a consolation.
Portsmouth started brightly but could not make an impression on a Birmingham defence that was impressive throughout. The visitors took the lead after a quarter of an hour when Jerome fired low past David James after good work by Christian Benitez.
Benitez should have put the result beyond doubt on 39 minutes, but with only James to beat he decided to round the keeper and allowed the Pompey defence to get back to clear with the goal gaping.
Benitez and Jerome combined again to double the visitors' advantage shortly before the break. Benitez's clever back-heel released Jerome who again made no mistake to secure a lead that appeared decisive, such was Birmingham's superiority in possession.
The second-half produced fewer chances although Portsmouth were largely in control, despite failing to cause any real problems for the Birmingham defence.
It was all a case of too little too late for Pompey, Aruna Dindane forced Joe Hart into a decent save in the dying minutes and Kanu's late header from a Jamie O'Hara cross proved to be just a consolation strike as Birmingam secured a deserved victory.