The Nigerian Village Square - Kanu scores 2 on debut with Portsmouth

Kanu scores 2 on debut with Portsmouth

Saturday, 19 August 2006

Kanu, Portsmouth profile, 2005/06 Kanu's Dream Debut
Saturday 19 Aug 2006

Nwankwo Kanu came off the bench to score a dream debut double as Portsmouth thumped nine-man Blackburn at Fratton Park.

Rovers had captain Colin Todd and centre back partner Lucas Neill sent off and Kanu also missed a hat-trick penalty on an afternoon of high drama.

Matt Taylor came close to getting Portsmouth's season off to a dream start when he fired inches wide with a 25-yard free kick in the second minute after Robbie Savage had fouled Benjani Mwaruwari.

New signing David James was forced into his first save in a Pompey shirt four minutes later, tipping Robbie Savage's curling free kick over his crossbar.

Benjani had the home fans off their seats again when he put a ferocious volley over the top of Brad Friedel's goal after racing onto Glen Johnson's long pass.

Blackburn almost benefit from a furious goal mouth scramble in the 21st minute when James failed to claim Dejan Stefanovic's chested pass back towards his goal before the Serbian defender managed to get his body in the way of Benni McCarthy's close range shot.

Portsmouth could have taken the lead mid-way through the first half when Taylor picked out Gary O'Neil at the back post but O'Neil could only manage a tame left foot shot which Friedel collected low to his left.

The home side found themselves in front in the 25th minute when Svetoslav Todorov finished off a neat passing move to make it 1-0.

Neill failed to deal with Linvoy Primus's ball over the top, allowing Benjani to get in behind the Blackburn defence before squaring for Todorov to thump the ball past a helpless Friedel from six yards out.

Debutant Sol Campbell almost made it 2-0 just 60 seconds later when his bullet header from a Sean Davis free kick was saved on the line by Friedel.

Benjani should have been celebrating only his second goal in English football 11 minutes before the break when Todorov forced Johnson's cross into his path but the £4.1 million pound buy took too long before scuffing his shot across the face of goal.

Steven Reid had James flying across his goal 37 minutes in to keep out his long-range free kick and uphold Pompey's lead.

Campbell came to Pompey's rescue on the stroke of half time, sliding into deny Jason Roberts a shot at goal after £2.5 million pound new boy Benni McCarthy had flicked the ball into his path.

Aaron Mokoena almost gifted Pompey a goal 10 minutes into the re-start, allowing James' long clearance to bounce in his own penalty area before Taylor forced a decent stop from Friedel at his near post with a snapped left-foot shot.

Roberts called James into action at the other end with a close-range effort, which the 36-year-old saved low to his right.

Portsmouth manager Harry Redknapp handed a debut to new signing Kanu following his free transfer as a 62nd minute replacement for Todorov.

The giant Nigerian scored with his first touch, making the most of his 197cm frame to head home Sean Davis's right-wing cross at the back post.

Blackburn's woes deepened when Neill, who had earlier gone into the referee's notepad for a first-half foul on Todorov, saw red for a second booking after cynically hacking down Kanu on the half-way line.

Kanu put the game out of Blackburn's reach by heading Pompey's third and his second from O'Neil's cross seven minutes from time.

Kanu was gifted the chance to score a debut hat-trick when he was tripped by Andy Todd on the edge of the six yard box.

Todd was sent off but Kanu's penalty was saved by Friedel.

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Blackburn boss Mark Hughes refused to put the boot in despite his team's 3-0 drubbing at Fratton Park.

Hughes said: "Maybe it will be a good thing. It could be a wake-up call that will hopefully spark us into life.

"We started poorly and never got the ball and allowed ourselves to be dictated all over the park.

"In the second half we came out and caused them a few problems but then conceded another poor goal.

"We lost Lucas Neill and from that point on it was going to be a difficult day for us.

"Under the letter of the law it was a yellow card and a sending-off, but I thought the ref could have given him a bit of leeway because fans want to see eleven players on the pitch.

"At this level you've got to be on the front foot and be dynamic and we didn't do that today."

Pompey manager Harry Redknapp was delighted with new signing Kanu who marked his Pompey debut with a second-half brace.

Redknapp said: "The big man's a terrific free transfer. He can hold the ball up and do things.

"Bryan Robson told me he was the best trainer at West Brom, but we've managed to sign him and I'm delighted.

"I had a bit of a problem before the game because I've only got three fit strikers.

"Kanu hasn't trained all summer and Benjani has missed pre-season with a groin injury so I thought I'd take a chance and leave Kanu on the bench and give him half a game.

"We could have been three up at half-time, second half they started well which gave us a little bit of a scare, but we were by far the best team today.

"Sol was terrific today but so was the whole team. He's a big man to get fit but he was solid all afternoon.

"Both him and David James will be important, but they all played their part today and all contributed."Rovers had captain Colin Todd and centre back partner Lucas Neill sent off and Kanu also missed a hat-trick penalty on an afternoon of high drama.