 Goals
Berger 4
Match
Report
Patrik Berger's triumphant early strike against the club who gave
him away was sufficient to earn a golden victory for Portsmouth.
But the big story at Fratton Park was another chapter of Liverpool's
demise as the Anfield side fell to a third consecutive Premiership
defeat.
Pompey needed to repair a lapsed start to top-flight life and did
so with guts, style and no little talent.
And in Berger they had just the man for the big occasion. The man
who led the Czech Republic to the Euro 96 final is still only 29
and still wowing them with his left-side midfield skills.
Yet somehow, Gerard Houllier gave him just one first-team start
last season and decided he was surplus to requirements.
His move to the south coast has been a dream so far - and this
was a dream start which provided a glowing finish.
In the end Portsmouth deserved to at least double their advantage
when Yakubu Ayegbini's shot came back off the crossbar but they
will settle for a short-head verdict.
Liverpool, though, should not settle for that at all. They are
in a crisis which substitute Florent Sinama-Pongolle's two near-misses
right at the death could not disguise. Without the injured Michael
Owen again they looked toothless.
The visitors should have been ahead even before Berger stunned
them with his third-minute strike, almost caressing the ball beyond
Jerzy Dudek's grasp after Sebastian Schemmel collected a glorious
Sheringham cross-field ball down the right flank and deposited it
to the near-post.
It came just seconds after Heskey's almost casual shot bounced
back off a post after he had shrugged off Dejan Stefanovic's attentions
to get onto El Hadji Diouf's through-ball in the box and face up
Shaka Hislop.
But although it needed a much better intervention by Stefanovic
- who went off before half-time - to end a twinkling run by Kewell
and centre-back partner Arjan de Zeeuw - who cleared a Steven Gerrard
free-kick off the line - Liverpool looked out-gunned before the
break.
Berger was chasing everywhere in extended celebration of his goal
and saw two more goalbound efforts charged down, once by Sami Hyypia
and then Dudek.
The Czech, who won the German title with Borussia Dortmund nearly
10 years ago, got so excited he was also booked for dissent by referee
Steve Dunn in the incident which brought Gerrard's free-kick.
Boris Zivkovic was harshly ruled to have handled and Gerrard curled
the ball low around the defensive wall to squeeze under Hislop's
body.
However, de Zeeuw was ideally placed and had the presence of mind
to scrape the ball off the line.
Pompey looked dodgy at times at the back but their attack never
lacked for drive and determination - especially Nigerian battler
Ayegbini, a constant muscular menace.
Add the delicate touches of Sheringham and Berger and Steve Stone
and it was easy to see why Liverpool struggled.
Had Nigel Quashie not misguidedly leapt for a dipping Schemmel
cross after 36 minutes and taken it right off the unmarked Sheringham's
toe things could have been worse for Liverpool.
Houllier's troops had to improve in the second half and for a while
it seemed that their midweek UEFA cup win over Slovenia's Olimpija
had restored their confidence.
They had Pompey's nervous defence running backwards soon after
the break and John Arne Riise had a half-chance from a poorly-cleared
corner which he blazed over the crossbar.
Heskey cut in to produce a good save from Hislop but a few debatable
decisions by referee Steve Dunn stirred the home crowd and seemed
to lift their team's hearts again.
Berger needed no urging. He put a beautiful ball on Ayegbini's
chest and it was a real pity the Nigerian could not control it as
he eased into the area. Dudek took his chance to save the day.
Then Ayegbini again, twisting and turning, went past two defenders
before Igor Biscan crudely brought him down on the edge of the box.
Biscan then stunned his team-mates as well with a misplaced header
from a Pompey free-kick which he smacked against his own crossbar.
Pompey proved once again that they have the quality and certainly
the heart to play at this level, with Amdy Faye their Senegal midfielder
a major factor.
But the unstinting work of old war-horses like Stone, Sheringham
and Dutchman de Zeeuw can never be underestimated.
Press Association
Teams
Portsmouth Hislop, Schemmel, De Zeeuw, Stefanovic
(Foxe 35), Zivkovic, Stone, Quashie (Sherwood 90), Faye, Berger,
Sheringham, Ayegbini.
Subs Not Used: Wapenaar, Taylor, Roberts.
Booked: Berger, Faye.
Liverpool Dudek, Finnan, Henchoz, Hyypia, Riise,
Diouf (Sinama Pongolle 64), Gerrard, Biscan, Smicer (Le Tallec 60),
Heskey, Kewell.
Subs Not Used: Kirkland, Traore, Welsh.
Booked: Diouf, Biscan.
Att: 20,123
Ref: S Dunn (Gloucestershire).
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Reaction
 Portsmouth
manager Harry
Redknapp
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Other
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BBC Sport 'Pompey
stun Liverpool'
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