Jansen cruise control

THE annual Boat Show is in full sail on the South Coast, but it was Blackburn Rovers who set up a victory cruise into the third round of the Worthington Cup last night.

At the same time, a Portsmouth side previously unbeaten in five home games this season did a passable impression of the Titanic.

And their dramatic collapse in the last half-hour cannot be entirely accounted for by the bizarre incident which saw goalkeeper Aaron Flavahan carried off after inexplicably 'blacking out".

It also owed something to the manner in which much-changed Rovers stepped on the gas to show just how fit and strong they are.

Full steam ahead seemed to be the order once Rovers had got their noses in front, courtesy of an own goal by Portsmouth central defender Jason Cundy.

They also showed a touch of ruthlessness, thanks to a couple of super goals from Matt Jansen.

For, while Portsmouth will reflect with much anguish on a golden chance for Alan McLoughlin just before half time, it was Rovers who provided the Matt finish.

If McLoughlin's header had gone in, instead of flying just past the post, it might have been a different story.

But, even with the second leg to come at Ewood, a place in the draw for round three is surely in the bag.

The Pompey Chimes sounded rather flat for the home team after they had been dismantled in the second half by a Rovers side fast gaining in confidence.

They made it three victories in a row and - significantly - three clean sheets. Once they start to really believe they are far better than most teams in this division then they should be able to go from strength to strength.

For all Portsmouth boss Alan Ball's protestations about the circumstances , the facts were that Rovers won the tactical battle - twice - the physical confrontation and, even though they were without their four most experienced midfield players, still had enough about them to claim a surprising scoreline.

Kidd made no fewer than seven changes from Saturday, most of them enforced, but he was also taking into account the need to rest players.

He is anxious to protect Lee Carsley as much as possible in the continuing absence of three long-term injury victims.

As things stand, he is treading warily in case anything untoward happens to Carsley and his concern is understandable.

But credit to the unlikely duo who took on the midfield responsibilities in last night's 4-4-2 starting line-up.

Wayne Gill made his belated senior bow alongside young David Dunn and they did every bit as much as could have been expected.

Gill was neat, tidy and quietly efficient, while Dunn blossomed in the second half to play a leading role in the substantial victory margin. Apart from setting up the chance to progress in the League Cup, they also offered hope in case Rovers are further hit by injury in the crucial midfield area - or Kidd is unable to secure perhaps the one final signing that could assure more important progress, on the promotion front. The first half was fairly uneventful with Pompey, somewhat surprisingly, playing only one front man and declining to go for the jugular.

It was as if they had too much respect for Rovers who would have been grateful for it.

Instead of being under the cosh, they found themselves involved in a fairly tame first 45 minutes and, as the away side, that was fine.

Ashley Ward put in Rovers' best effort of the half with a blistering volley which was just too high, while Alan Kelly made decent saves from a Thomas Thogersen shot and a Guy Whittingham header.

The turning point came in the 44th minute when McLoughlin got round the back of a strangely out-of-sorts Jeff Kenna and should have scored with a header, but missed.

Rovers began the second half in businesslike mood with both Ward and Nathan Blake in the picture before goalkeeper Flavahan's remarkable exit. Sub Andy Pettersen had only been on the field a short time when Kenna's long throw in the 60th minute saw Cundy challenge Ward in the air and the ball flew off his head and looped backwards to go in via the far post.

Portsmouth finally raised their ambitions and went to 4-4-2 but Rovers countered with 4-3-3 and the appearance of sub Jansen transformed the picture.

In the 73rd minute came a classic second goal as Dunn powered forward and found Ward on the right. A tackle came in a fraction too late as Ward's cross to the far post picked out Jansen and a bullet-like header did the rest.

With 12 minutes left, Dunn bombed on again, slipped the ball through to Jansen and, though he was tackled by Jason Crowe and Pettersen, it was the striker who was first to his feet to sidefoot the ball into a virtually empty net.

Portsmouth, reduced to 10 for the final few minutes by injury to Cundy, enjoyed late pressure but headers from Steve Claridge and, in the sixth minute of stoppage time, Noe Pamarot, were the closest they came.

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