Fletcher struck just after the half-hour mark in a game of few chances at Fratton Park in which United dominated most of the play and Pompey struggled to create many opportunities.
After both sides enjoyed some good possession in the early exchanges without really creating any clear cut chances, Paul Scholes finally tested David James on 19 minutes. Wayne Rooney rolled a free kick to him 25 yards out and his effort was parried by the Portsmouth keeper before he grabbed it at the second attempt.
Peter Crouch almost got in at the other end on 25 minutes when Jermain Defoe's low cross from the left deflected off Patrice Evra into his path. However, after Edwin van der Sar saved his first effort, Evra recovered to knock the rebound behind for a corner.
United went in front on 32 minutes after some patient build up play which ended with Evra whipping in a low cross from the left for Fletcher to get in front of Sol Campbell and convert from a few yards out which Sylvain Distin tried and failed to keep out of the net.
United continued to press for a second goal and went close on 41 minutes when Anderson played in Rooney, who turned Younes Kaboul before drilling a low effort just wide of James' upright.
Rooney had the ball in the net on 50 minutes but was wrongly denied a first goal of the new campaign by an offside flag.
The closest Portsmouth got to equalising were long range efforts from Jerome Thomas and Papa Bouba Diop which were punched away by Van der Sar as United comfortably played out the second half without really needing to add to their tally.
Posts
0 comments:
Post a Comment