Harry loses the plot but pumped-up Pompey have last laugh

Redknapp jabbed three fingers into the air, reminding them of the score. As he conceded later, it was an unwise reaction. But the crowd was now in full cry. First they accused him of the solitary vice,then they bellowed: "Redknapp's going down!"

His face clouded as the abuse grew more vicious. Surrounded though he was by his club colleagues, he looked a desperately lonely man. He has known his share of abuse down the years, but in the light of recent events, this seemed to hit him hard.

The screams grew still louder, and the manager seemed to curse his own reaction. He had guaranteed himself weeks of torment, providing the mob with an inviting target. And this on a day when the game had gone well and the performance of his team had surpassed itself.

Half-an-hour before kick-off, as the temperature dropped by the moment and vast, grey curtains of rain swept across this fine old ground, the stadium announcer chirped out: "Welcome to Villa Park, and a bright Christmas cracker!"

He was not sympathetically received. And yet, he was right.

It was a thrilling match; fast, intense, brimming with incident and laced with some wonderful goals. The score could have been almost anything, but ultimately Portsmouth richly deserved the margin of their victory.

From that 10th minute,with Redknapp's side scoring a pinball of a goal,the match transcended the miserable weather in which it was played. A strange goal it was, with Noe Pamarot battering a low, diagonal cross, Wilfred Bouma supplying a strange ricochet and Craig Gardner, under immense pressure, turning the ball into his own goal.

Villa were losing the midfield battle to the power and movement of Papa Bouba Diop and Niko Kranjcar, yet they had an excellent chance for equality within 10 minutes.Martin Laursen, having missed a plausible header, rose once more to Young's free-kick and hideously squandered the chance.

So fast was the game that fierce contact was inevitable.Yet referee Mike Riley still managed to get most of the important decisions wrong.

It is all too easy to criticise referees, with the world and his brother out to deceive them,but Riley stood and watched Pedro Mendes cut down Ashley Young in full, dangerous flight, and he escaped without punishment. It was an amazing decision and it made Riley's task immeasurably more difficult.

But Portsmouth held more threat,more compelling intent,and in the 40th minute they scored a quite memorable goal. Glen Johnson played a pass square to Sulley Muntari, who carried the ball across the face of the goal, more than 20 yards out, before unwrapping a left-foot drive which flew high past the right hand of the blameless Scott Carson.

Redknapp leaped from the dugout, punching the air in a rare display of emotion. Yet such was the uncertainty of the match that David James was required to bring off an extraordinary reflex save from Gabriel Agbonlahor. Being James, he missed the resulting corner, but it was still an admirable effort.

Martin O'Neill was suffering even more palpably than usual. You could tell by his screams, his frantic gestures, and by the way he worked through around 14 bottles of that sports drink he keeps on a rack by his feet. He almost ran to the dressing room at half-time to set to work on his men.

The game continued to entrance, while Riley continued to disappoint. His failure to penalise Olof Mellberg for crudely hauling at Kranjcar's shirt was symptomatic of his inconsistency. Once again,we are aware that referees have a desperately difficult job but at the moment too many are not doing it well enough.

Still, one man who was exceeding expectations was the splendid Muntari, and the third goal in the 62nd minute revealed the full scope of his talent. Stealing possession in the centre circle, he ran on single mindedly before unleashing a shot with the outside of his left foot. Carson was never on nodding terms with the flight of the ball.

Redknapp responded by punching the air four, five, six times; a regular Ricky of a celebration. And well merited. It was a remarkable goal which will stand comparison with almost any that the season will see.

It was at this point, with Portsmouth coasting, that the Villa Park crowd went for Redknapp. He became involved in an exchange of insults by his dugout. At one point, he was seen to accuse one of his tormentors of being bald,a charge which could not be refuted.

But the sideshow receded as Villa won a penalty. It was a soft concession, with Sylvain Distin tripping Young, who was going nowhere at the time. But Gareth Barry smashed it in,then smashed into the massive Papa Bouba Diop, knocking him flat. Riley wagged a deprecatory finger.

But Portsmouth remained the more likely to extend their lead, and they would have done precisely that had Diop not succeeded in missing an empty goal from four yards out. Thus ended a fascinating afternoon and, for Portsmouth, their 11th unbeaten performance.

And now, as they sing, you've gotta believe them.