Portsmouth 2 Burnley 0:Portsmouth striker Aruna Dindane made up for a pitiful penalty miss by putting the finishing touch to a vital 2-0 win over Barclays Premier League rivals Burnley at Fratton Park.
Hermann Hreidarsson fired the South Coast club ahead after 65 minutes, thanks to a brilliant ball from substitute Kanu.
Dindane wasted a spot-kick after half an hour, but made no mistake when he sealed Pompey's third win of the season, and first under Avram Grant, from Jamie O'Hara's pinpoint cross after 83 minutes.
Goalscorer Hreidarsson is eyeing the start of “something special” after the first win under new manager Avram Grant.
“This was a massive win for us and hopefully it’s a the start of something special,” Hreidarsson told Sky Sports 1. "Hopefully we’ll kick on from here. There’s loads of points to be played for still.”
Hreidarsson was the player who won the penalty Dindane missed but the Iceland international admitted it should never have been awarded.
Wade Elliott’s contact was minimal, and Hreidarsson said: “It wasn’t [a penalty]. I was waiting for the kick but it never came. It wasn’t a dive, it’s not what I’m about, but it wasn’t a penalty, no.”
Recent concerns over pay at the club have
galvanised, he insisted. “All the players have stuck together, we haven’t been moaning about it, so I think in a way it has got everyone together and made sure we got the points."
Burnley manager Owen Coyle offered no excuses after witnessing his team slump to their seventh defeat in eight away games this season.
“We were here for points and we’re obviously leaving with none from a game we offered a lot to, but we can’t switch off as we did, particularly the first goal. It was a soft goal,” he said. “From our point of view, we had numerous chances to be in front, so we’re disappointed.
“The margins are minimal. We had enough chances; a little bit of quality finishing from us and we’d have seen the game off.
“We have to carry on in the belief that we can and we will win games, so maybe it’s just a little turn of luck, taking your chances when you’re dominating. The sooner that happens, the better for everybody concerned.”
