Saturday, May 17, 2008

Pompey Cop FA Cup

At London:


Nwankwo Kanu scored the only goal of the match Saturday (37') to lift Portsmouth to the FA Cup championship as the Premiership club defeated League Championship (2nd tier of English soccer) club Cardiff City 1-0 at Wembley Stadium:



Kanu was Portsmouth's hit-and-miss hero again as his first-half goal won the FA Cup for Harry Redknapp's team, who had just enough Premier League pedigree to see off Championship outsiders Cardiff 1-0.
But Kanu and Pompey's joy was despair for the Welsh club's Finnish goalkeeper Peter Enckelman, who palmed a low cross by John Utaka straight to the long-limbed striker, who half-volleyed it into the net from about three yards.
Kanu scored only his seventh goal of the season, and the first since his semi-final winner against West Brom last month, which was a similar close-range effort from a keeper's parry.

And although he squandered two other marvellous opportunities in a match that failed to produce any great exciting football, he was granted a standing ovation by the delirious Pompey fans when replaced by Milan Baros for the final few minutes.
It was Pompey's who 11th 1-0 win of the season, earning them a place in next season's UEFA Cup - their first European adventure to go with their first FA Cup triumph for 69 years.


Here we see Pompey manager Harry Redknapp holding the FA Cup in triumph following the game.



Tony Marshall photo/Empics


Here's one of Harry's charges joining in the fun. Jamie McDonald photo/Getty Images


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