Loading...EPL Result: Portsmouth 7-4 Reading
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Portsmouth went goal crazy at Fratton Park, with Benjani Mwaruwari netting a hat-trick in a 7-4 demolition of Reading that now represents the Barclays Premier League's highest-scoring game.
The Royals had only beaten Pompey once in the past 25 years but cannot have defended any worse in any of those previous encounters.
Goals from Stephen Hunt and Dave Kitson actually cancelled out Benjani's first-half double, but Steve Coppell's side were soon buried under an avalanche of replies.
Hermann Hreidarsson headed Pompey back ahead, Benjani's third was followed by a fine strike from Nico Kranjcar and, after substitute Shane Long had pulled one back for Reading, Sean Davis netted a long-rang shot, before Sulley Muntari made it 7-3 from the spot.
Nicky Shorey had the last word with a deflected fourth for the visitors.
A knee injury had robbed Portsmouth of top-scorer Kanu and, despite his Carling Cup winner at Burnley in midweek, England international David Nugent found himself still on the bench as Benjani was chosen to replace the Nigerian up front.
Harry Redknapp's judgement was soon proved to be correct, however, as the Zimbabwean opened the scoring after just seven minutes.
James Harper had lost the ball to Papa Bouba Diop and Benjani, having sent John Utaka into a crossing position on the left, completed the move by dispatching his colleague's delivery to the back post from close range.
Reading goalkeeper Marcus Hahnemann had remained rooted to his line on that occasion, but when he came out to claim Kranjcar's corner, the American succeeded only in spilling it into Diop's path and was mightily relieved when the Senegal international could only hook the loose ball wide.
Kranjcar was the first half's most lively performer, running at opponents at will but could not hit the target himself, screwing one effort wide from a good position in the box before blasting another well over.
Diop's 30-yard shot forced Hahnemann into a diving save, before Benjani made it 2-0 in the 37th minute.
Reading had been slow to react for the first goal and were caught out from their own attack this time as Diop's ball from inside his own half found the recalled front man.
Shorey and Ivar Ingimarsson were both unable to impede his progress, before Hahnemann was beaten with a well-placed drive from just outside the box.
The lead was no more than Pompey had deserved and Hahnemann somehow deflected Glen Johnson's shot over after Benjani's header had set up the defender at point-blank range.
Davis sent a long-range shot just over, but the last word of the half belonged to Reading when Hunt pulled a goal back in stoppage time.
Liam Rosenior and Kitson set it up with the former sending a cross over David James and the latter reacting to prod the ball goalwards when it had bounced down off the cross bar.
Sylvain Distin managed to block on the line, but Hunt followed up smartly to nod home.
Reading usually concede goals shortly after half-time, but this time Kitson scored one, with James' rash rush out of his box allowing it to take place in the 48th minute.
The England goalkeeper never looked likely to reach Hunt's ball from his own half and Kitson, having taken it past him, located the empty net with a perfectly-placed shot from a tight angle on the left.
Pompey reacted strongly and Reading were fortunate to scramble the ball away after Utaka's cross had gone over Hahnemann.
Harper fired a good chance over at the other end, but when Diop had a diving header ruled out for offside the reprieve was shortlived for the visitors as Hreidarsson made it 3-2 in the 55th minute.
Again Hahnemann appeared to be at fault, allowing the Pompey defender to beat him to Distin's cross and head home from eight yards out.
James made amends for his earlier error by saving Shorey's penalty after Diop had needlessly controlled the ball with an arm in the box.
Exactly why a striker did not take it remains unknown, but the home fans reacted rapturously with chants of 'England's Number One'.
Benjani made sure the match ball was his with a fine solo clincher with 20 minutes remaining. Sulley Muntari put him through and, with defenders trailing, he made the task of taking the ball round Hahnemann and finding the empty net look easy.
Kranjcar made it 5-2 with a headed conversion of a Davis cross, but Long's reply - a deflection of a Harper shot with 10 minutes remaining - was quickly followed by Pompey's sixth from Davis.
Muntari scored the seventh from the spot in stoppage time after Kranjcar had been fouled by Rosenior.
Shorey fired home a deflected fourth before the final whistle ended the mayhem.
Source: Soccernet.com
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