Piquionne grabs brace in Pompey triumph - Sport in brief - Evening Standard
       

Piquionne grabs brace in Pompey triumph

Frederic Piquionne provided the inspiration as Portsmouth stormed into the Carling Cup quarter-finals by demolishing Stoke 4-0 at Fratton Park.

The worst scoring record in the Barclays Premier League may have left Pompey rooted to the foot of the table, but they had few problems hitting the target in the cup.

Piquionne struck twice and set up another for Danny Webber before Kanu completed the rout to make it 11 goals from their three matches in the competition so far.

With a point to prove after slipping out of manager Paul Hart's first choice line-up, Piquionne dazzled and frustrated in equal measure.

The France striker, on loan from Lyon until the end of the season, was Pompey's most dangerous player yet would mix his box of tricks and turn of pace with some erratic moments.

Pompey almost snatched the lead 10 minutes in when Piquionne dashed into the box before forcing a goalline clearance from Andy Griffin with Webber lurking to help the ball home.

They could not be denied seven minutes later, however, when the ubiquitous Piquionne outjumped Danny Higginbotham to nod home Nadir Belhadj's cross.

It was a simple move as Piquionne set up Webber who took one touch before blasting home in the 56th minute.

Three minutes later and Hart's team were out of sight as Steve Simonsen fumbled a free-kick by Brown into the path of Piquionne who completed the simple tap in.

To complete the rout, Aaron Mokoena laid on a sweet pass to fellow substitute Kanu who rounded the beleaguered Simonsen before slotting home with nine minutes left.

Sport in brief in Pictures

Don't Miss
The Glamour Awards - stars turn on the style

Glamour Awards

Stars turn on the style
Duchess of Cambridge is pretty in pink at her first Buckingham Palace garden party

Garden party

Duchess of Cambridge is pretty in pink
FIRST review of Ridley Scott's latest sci-fi blockbuster Prometheus

First review

Is Ridley Scott's Prometheus any good?
Fair-weather goths

Fair-weather goths

The sultry shades of summer darks are coming out of the shadows
London gets ready for the Diamond Jubilee - in pictures

Diamond Jubilee

London gets ready - in pictures
Dog save the Queen: Corgis surge in popularity

Dog save the Queen

Corgis surge in popularity
'He’s a better ex than he was a husband', says Boris Johnson's ex wife

A better ex than husband

We talk to Boris Johnson's ex wife
TV Baftas - in pictures

Best of the Baftas

Stars on the red, white and blue carpet
You big softie: Has Giles Coren put down his poison pen?

You big softie

Has Giles Coren put down his poison pen?
Pop star Paloma Faith, former Labour minister and Tory blogger back gay marriage video

Gay marriage

Pop star, former Labour minister and Tory blogger back gay marriage video