Adebayor on target in Pompey defeat - 7M sport

Adebayor on target in Pompey defeat

Posted Monday, February 01, 2010 by PA

Emmanuel Adebayor scored for the first time since his return from the African Nations Cup as Manchester City closed to within a point of fourth-spot following their 2-0 victory over Portsmouth.

Adebayor endured an horrific time as the Togo bus was under fire in Angola, the scars of which will stay with him for the rest of his life.

But the striker was strong enough to clatter a fierce shot past David James to give City a 40th-minute lead before Vincent Kompany wrapped up victory with a firm header in first-half stoppage time.

Crisis club Portsmouth were only able to name a full set of substitutes because Quincy Owusu-Abeye signed on loan, and the loss of skipper Hermann Hreidarsson - to injury during the first half - could cause a problem if reinforcements are not brought in before Monday's 5pm transfer deadline.

It was to manager Avram Grant's credit that Pompey were the better side for 39 minutes. Taking advantage of City's unusual lethargy, the visitors carved out two fine chances.

John Utaka was presented with the first but leaned back too far when he got on the end of Danny Webber's cross and scooped his shot over.

Anyone with an ounce of compassion could have understood what was going through Adebayor's mind after he crashed his 40th-minute shot past David James.

Latching onto Stephen Ireland's lofted pass, his marker Mark Wilson appealing in vain for offside, Adebayor acted as though he no longer knew how to celebrate, an acknowledgement to the heavens at the start of the second half told its own story.

Kompany effectively wrapped up victory in stoppage time. At City's previous corner, the Belgian had complained of being impeded by Tal Ben Haim.

Having gained no response from referee Martin Atkinson, Kompany took matters into his own hands, simply shrugging the Israeli aside as they ran to meet Martin Petrov's corner, before powering home his first goal of the season.

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