Portsmouth 1-4 West Ham: Pompey pay for more clangers

In the debtor's derby at Fratton Park, Craig Bellamy proved priceless for West Ham while Tony Adams was left feeling shortchanged.

The total debts of these up for-sale clubs is spiralling towards £150million.

But the Wales international proved he is worth his weight in gold to the Upton Park club with two second-half goals to give Gianfranco Zola only his second win his September.

Whatever any club offers for him this January, it will not be enough.

Even Carlton Cole scored following his one-on-one striking tuition with his Italian manager after Jack Collison's equaliser had cancelled out Nadir Belhadj's opener for Pompey.

And the Hammers fans even had the added pleasure of witnessing former player and permanent boo-boy Jermain Defoe miss a first-half penalty right in front of them before he was subbed.

It was one of many chances Portsmouth spurned - while Adams' side were equally as bad at the back.

Whatever Santa Claus brought the Irons fans on Christmas Day, it could not have been as good as this. It was the first time they had scored four goals since Alan Curbishley's last game in August when Bellamy was also on the scoresheet.

But with the Welshman suspended for tomorrow's match at Stoke and Spurs making an initial £6m bid, even Zola could not guarantee he will not be sacrificed for £10-12m in the transfer window.

"He is an important player for us," said the Italian. "When he plays like he is, he is a very important for player. The club knows Idon't want to sell him.

"There is total understanding between me and the club. We work together. We want to keep all our best players.

"Craig is very dangerous, especially in this country where the defenders are very big and equipped to defend against other types of strikers.

"He reacted well to all the speculation around him. He is really dangerous and hopefully will continue to be."

As well as their first Premier League win at Fratton Park, Zola also had the satisfaction of seeing his team fight back from an early goal after losing all eight previous games where they had gone behind.

After only eight minutes, Nadir Belhadj fed Glen Little down the right and his deep cross found Peter Crouch in space at the far post.

The England striker then had the time to take the ball down and lay off a pass for the on-loan Algerian to crash home his second goal for the club.

Yet the Pompey rearguard proved just as accommodating after 20 minutes.

Scott Parker took a quick free kick to Cole and his cutback found Jack Collison on the edge of the box. The Wales midfielder's low side-footed shot went croquet-style through the legs of Sylvain Distin and David James for the equaliser.

But the rest of the half saw one-way traffic towards the Hammers goal.

Robert Green blocked volleys from Crouch and Sean Davis before Pompey's first penalty appeal - for Calum Davenport holding Crouch's shirt - was turned down by Steve Bennett.

But that proved to be just the warm-up act for a mad few moments before the break.

First James was beaten to a loose ball by the ever-alert Bellamy only for Sol Campbell to head clear Mark Noble's weak header on the line.

At the other end Bennett turned down two appeals for handball against Parker and Noble within 30 seconds.

But the Kent official finally relented at the fourth time of asking for a tame shove by Lucas Neill on Crouch in first half injury time.

Yetto the huge amusement of the Hammers fans gathered behind the goal, Defoe drilled his spot-kick comfortably wide.

Green denied Crouch twice more and then Defoe after the break but James' goal was also put under constant threat.

The England No 1 was lucky to fumble a Bellamy cross wide under pressure from Cole and then watched as a Matt Upson header bounced off the bar.

But just as Pompey collapsed early against Bolton by conceding two goals in the first three minutes, here they ended it all later in the game in a four minutes of hari-kari.

After 67 minutes, Collison hit the post with a low shot from Bellamy's cross and Cole tapped home the rebound for his first goal in nine matches.

Sometimes it only takes a two-yard tap-in to go from a Christmas turkey to a Christmas cracker.

"Hopefully that goal will be good for his confidence," added Zola.

Then after 70 minutes, Pompey succumbed to a swift counterattack after Premier League debutant Marc Wilson had hit the post with a header at the other end.

Bellamy outpaced Belhadj and even after James saved at his feet, the Welshman gathered the loose ball and lashed it home.

He rounded off the scoring after 83 minutes when he exchanged passes with sub Luis Boa Morte before placing his shot into the far corner - and then left the field with Hammers fans chanting: "Don't Go Craig Bellamy".

COMPUTER

PORTSMOUTH

WEST HAM

BALL POSSESSION

58% 42%

FACE TO FACE

9 Corners 5

1 Offside 7

83% Pass completion 78%

29 Tackles 32

14 Fouls 10

1 Cards 3

YOU THE MANAGER FANTASY FOOTBALL

MAN OF THE MATCH

(Worth an extra two Fantasy League points)

Craig Bellamy

(WEST HAM) 8

Played as if his January transfer depended on it

VILLAIN OF THE MATCH

Jermaine Defoe

(PORTSMOUTH) 6

NEXT GAME

PORTSMOUTH

Tomorrow: Arsenal (a) Prem

WEST HAM

Tomorrow: Stoke (h) Prem

Portsmouth: James 6, Wilson 7, Campbell 6, Distin 6, Belhadj 7, Little 7 (Traore 71, 4), Davis 6, Hughes 5, Kranjcar 5, Crouch 7, Defoe 6 (Kanu 73, 5). Goal: Belhadj 8

West Ham: Green 7, Neill 5 (Faubert 46, 5), Davenport 6, Upson 7, Ilunga 5, Collison 7, Noble 6 (Luis Boa Morte 73, 5), Parker 7, Behrami 7, Cole 7 (Tristan 87,4), Bellamy 8. Goals: Collison 20, Cole 67, Bellamy 70, 83.

Referee: Steve Bennett ATTENDANCE: 20,102