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Tuesday, 17 September, 2002, 20:58 GMT 21:58 UK
Portsmouth 4-1 Wimbledon
Matthew Taylor was on target for Portsmouth
Matthew Taylor was on target for Portsmouth

Wimbledon's Kelvin Davis produced almost a carbon copy of Aston Villa goalkeeper Peter Enckelman's amazing error against Birmingham to help Portsmouth to victory.

Davis's blunder eased First Division table-toppers Portsmouth to their seventh straight league victory as they cruised to victory at Fratton Park.

The Dons goalkeeper went to control a backpass from defender Mark Williams only to miss the ball completely and watch in agony as the ball crossed the line.

The game had started at a blistering pace as on-loan forward Vincent Pericard fired Harry Redknapp's side into a third minute lead only for Neil Shipperley to equalise eight minutes later.

A Svetoslav Todorov header restored Pompey's lead on the half hour, and Davis gifted a third before the break.

Williams was sent off for a second bookable offence shortly after the restart to end any hopes of a comeback, and Matthew Taylor completed the rout.

Both sides had named unchanged line-ups, with Bulgarian striker Todorov recovering from a knee injury to keep his place in the Portsmouth attack.

Pompey, unbeaten in nine games going into the match, opened the scoring when Paul Merson picked out Pericard, and although he scuffed his shot it had enough power to beat Davis in the Dons goal.

But Stuart Murdoch's side were level soon after as a well-worked move on the right ended with a deep cross from Jermaine Darlington finding the head of Shipperley and he powered home.

The action was swinging from end to end in a high octane opening, and after the visitors had a strong appeal for a penalty turned down when Joel McAnuff went down in the box, they spurned a good chance to take the lead when youngster Adam Nowland was put clear but fired inches wide.

They were punished against the run of play on the half hour as Merson set Taylor off down the wing and his perfect cross was met by the head of Todorov who gave Davis little chance.

Portsmouth then extended their lead in bizarre circumstances less than 10 minutes later, and despite the best efforts of Alex Tapp and Damien Francis the unlucky Dons were left with a mountain to climb.

Their misery was compounded early in the second half as Williams, who had been booked in the first five minutes, was dismissed for an innocuous challenge on Pericard.

Nowland saw a fierce shot parried by Shaka Hislop, while at the other end Nigel Quashie brought the best out of Davis with a drilled attempt but it took until the 72nd minute before Pompey wrapped up the points.

Kevin Harper's speculative shot deflected into the path of Taylor and he placed his shot past the keeper.


Portsmouth: Hislop, Festa, Primus, De Zeeuw, Harper, Taylor, Merson, Robinson, Quashie, Pericard, Todorov. Subs: Kawaguchi, Vincent, Burchill, Tiler, O'Neil.

Wimbledon: Davis, Andersen, Williams, Hawkins, McAnuff, Francis, Tapp, Gier, Darlington, Nowland, Shipperley. Subs: Heald, Ainsworth, Willmott, Gray, Leigertwood.

Referee: P Danson (Leicestershire)

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Portsmouth boss Harry Redknapp
"We're going great at the moment"
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