It was well and truly a tale of two halves at Fratton Park, although the outcome the league table might have predicted looked far from certain at the interval, as Pompey more than matched Man U and should have gone in at the break ahead.

The fact they didn't was largely down to the fact that a couple of gilt-edged chances were squandered by the otherwise impressive Aruna Dindane and, not for the first time this season squandered opportunities came back to haunt Pompey.

The game was won and lost in a ten minute spell just after the break. United came out and raised their game ten percent and Pompey simply crumbled.

Three minutes after the break Pompey were almost undone as Wayne Rooney almost wriggled free but just cleared the danger. Possession was carelessly lost at once though and Ryan Giggs supplied the pass to leave Rooney clear to knock the ball past Asmir Begovic and restore United's lead.

Four minutes later Frederic Piquionne tried to be too clever by half as he lost the ball to Giggs, when kicking it out for a throw-in might have been a safer bet. In attempting to get it back he clumsily brought down Giggs and Rooney converted his second spot kick of the game and claimed his hat trick.

For the remainder of the game Pompey huffed and puffed, but United were in cruise control by then. Begovic made one sharp save to keep out Giggs' low, angled effort, while at the other end Dindane needed a fraction too long to get his shot away as the ball broke to him ten yards out and his effort was blocked for a corner.

Giggs' scored a superb free kick late on to give the victory undue gloss, while Kuszczak made a late save low down from Kevin Prince Boateng and in the final minute sub John Utaka thundered a scissor-kick effort against the bar.

It had been all so different in the first half. Article continues here

New manager Avram Grant brought in Piquionne, Hassan Yebda and and Begovic and early on Pompey were all over a strangely subdued United.

Dindane really should have done better as he managed to squeeze his way past Wes Brown, but only managed to shoot straight at the keeper, as Pompey's pressure almost, but not quite, earned a deserved lead.

United took the lead though after 25 minutes as Michael Brown and Rooney went for the same ball in the box and the England international tumbled and referee Mike Read pointed to the spot.

That looked a soft-ish decision, but seven minutes later a linesman's flag across his chest as a clutch of players jumped for a free kick pumped into the United box signalled an even more controversial decision, as Vidic had hold of Piquionne's shirt, although they have rarely been given for less.

Boateng made up for his miss last week as he confidently sent the keeper the wrong way.

At this point Pompey were clearly the better side, their neat passing frequently picking United apart and a second goal looked on as a cross dropped onto the head of Dindane, but his effort was poorly directed and United were let off the hook. They never looked likely to be put on it after that.

As ever, Pompey fans can take away the positives, while pondering another three points disappearing. New boss Grant could have prepared his post-match interview by looking at what his predecessor Paul Hart has had to say after most home games this season.

Missed chances. Sloppy defending. Nice football. No points. Season 2009-10 so far in a nutshell. Other results in the past week mean that Pompey are close to being officially cut adrift.

Grant might not yet have taken on mission impossible, but with a rather tricky set of fixtures in December to negotiate, he has little margin for error. Pompey need ten wins from 24 matches. That looks a tall order from here...

Pompey: Begovic; Ben Haim, Kaboul, Wilson, Hreidarsson; Yebda (Utaka 78), Brown, O’Hara; Piquionne (Kanu 63), Boateng; Dindane (Smith 80)

Man Utd: Kuszczak; Neville, Brown, Vidic, Evra; Valencia, Fletcher, Scholes, Carrick (Anderson 76), Giggs; Rooney

Referee: Mike Dean

Attendance: 20,842

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