Niko makes it a happy return for Redknapp

It was Niko Kranjcar who snaffled them for his manager last night with a sweetly-struck 61st minute winner that illuminated a game that was in danger of becoming a non-event.

Unfortunately for the West Ham faithful, that is the perfect description for a season that will be remembered no longer than May 11, the date of their final fixture against Aston Villa.

They didn't even have Jermain Defoe on whom to vent their usual disdain for a player still reviled for deserting the club in its hour of Championship need. Portsmouth's eight-goal striker had his grandmother's funeral to attend.

There was a certain amount of reflected FA Cup glory at Upton Park last night. One of their own will be stepping out for the final at Wembley on May 17 and pride in that achievement was not confined to those who had travelled up from Portsmouth.

It is seven years since Redknapp left the Boleyn Ground. The bond, though, has never been broken — not least because West Ham have not been the same club since.

Redknapp's claret and blue vintage of Frank Lampard, Rio Ferdinand, John Hartson and Paolo di Canio is revered by the younger generation of these parts every bit as much as their fathers remember Moore, Hurst and Peters — team-mates in the 1960s of Harry the winger during his playing days.

Redknapp the manager oversaw a time of headlines, colour, flowing football and even InterToto Cup glory.

For the moment, the club he left in 2001 has become cloaked in a nondescript shade of grey.

Rarely can a team have inhabited mid-table with such doggedness from autumn to spring as West Ham have this season.

At times, last night's near non-event mirrored their entire campaign — a hint of excitement here, a dash of danger there, yet ultimately little to stir the emotions.

Now one drama-free April might not be such a bad thing 12 months on from the heart-stopping agonies of their fingertip escape from relegation.

Such is the level of entertainment quite rightly demanded around here, however, that a second bland end-of-season would not be so easily tolerated — especially by the club's ambitious Icelandic owners.

Blandness and sterility was exactly what came to pass yesterday. The contest had all the bite of a preseason friendly.

Had Bobby Zamora not wrapped his right foot around the ball a fraction too much in the 17th minute after being slipped in by Dean Ashton and then rounding David James, a dreary opening half might have sprung to life.

As it was, Zamora's shot was dragged along the goal-line. The scampering Sol Campbell and Sylvain Distin skilfully managed to let the ball roll harmlessly wide and the stalemate was maintained.

At least the Pompey fans could wallow in their weekend Wembley triumph. Dull late season fare is so much more palatable when you have a Cup final appearance to savour.

The visitors threatened just once in the first 45 minutes. A swift interchange between Papa Bouba Diop and Pedro Mendes ended with the Portuguese backheeling the ball into the path of David Nugent, making just the fifth Premier League start of what has been for him a lost season.

The striker caught his shot sweetly enough, but it rippled the net only on the rebound after connecting flush with the stanchion behind the West Ham goal.

At the other end, Ashton's timing was equally impressive with a 25-yard effort that James could only beat away for a corner in the final minute of the half.

Even the 33,629 paying supporters inside Upton Park could barely raise themselves above the mildest of applause as the teams left the pitch for their half-time cuppa.

With victory over Cardiff and a passage into the UEFA Cup in next month's final no formality, Redknapp had reason to cajole Portsmouth into greater urgency at the beginning of the second period.

Kranjcar latched on to Nugent's pass before fizzing a 20-yard drive just over the West Ham bar.

Robert Green may have had it covered, but he will also have been grateful not to have to risk injury by tipping it over, such was the ferocity of the effort from the Croat.

That ought to have warned the home defence not to stand off Kranjcar 10 minutes later when Bouba Diop slipped the ball to him on the edge of the area.

The slightest of feints was followed by a right-foot shot into the bottom corner.

For West Ham, even the introduction of teenage striker Freddie Sears could do little to lift the gloom.