FULLTIME. The ref blows his whistle and its over. Avram Grant starts his career on the south coast with a defeat. United in complete control from the start of the second half. AT FULLTIME PORTSMOUTH 1 -4 MANCHESTER UNITED.

Into injury time and United looking to grab another goal. But Pompey hanging on.

But it comes to nothing. Its straight at a relieved Kusczak.

WHAT A CHANCE!!!! United go to sleep and a cross from the right finds an unmarked Utaka whose acrobatic volley is tipped onto the bar by Kuscsak!!!! Seconds later Boateng has a pop from outside the area and again Kusczak has to dive and save it!!!

Pompey have a free kick on the edge of the area and the crowd cheer. Its been a sad second half performance form the home team. O'Hara lines it up but its wide. Less than a minute left and game over surely.

GOAL!!!!! Its Giggs who takes it and its a superb strike!!! He bends it around the wall to creep in at the near and Bergovic had no chance. What a way to bring up 100 goals for your club.

Goal Ryan Giggs

Yellow Card John Utaka

United win a free kick on the edge of the area as Utaka is booked for bringing down a marauding Evra. Giggs looks to be conversing with Rooney over it.

Yellow Card Paul Scholes

The man deserves a goal. For the umpteenth time Valencia is found in acres of space down the right and he swings a wicked low cross that has to be hacked away for a corner.

Substitution Aruna Dindane Tommy Smith

United seem content to pass the ball around and try and pick the gaps. Portsmouth chasing the game and the ball. Grant makes hiss final substitution as Dindane is hauled off and Tommy Smith is thrown on

CHANCE!!!! United still going strong and Giggs chips a ball over for Anderson to run on to in the area and the Brazillian tries his luck but the shot is just over.

Substitution Hassan Yebda John Utaka

Yellow Card Jamie O'Hara

The life seems to have been knocked out of Pompey. They're looking tired now and giving away needless fouls. Grant makes another change as Utaka replaces Yebda.

Substitution Michael Carrick Anderson

Fratton Park seems to have gone very quiet as Carrick comes off, replaced by Anderson.

CHANCE!!! Dindane sets up Boateng who runs into the area and skips past Vidic's dive before shooting and Kuszcak has to dive and parry!!!! Portsmouth still not out of this one.

Thats the threat for the home team. They win a corner but United break and a neat exchange of passes sees Rooney release Valencia. But Pompey come back and the attack peters out.

Pompey trying to claw their way back into the game now. They're peppering the United box with balls and the champions are coping - just about.

Camera pans to Pompey fans still singing and trying to get their team into the game. And they nearly do. Cross from the right is stopped by Brown but it falls for Dindane who's going to pull the trigger but a sliding Vidic deflects it for a corner.

Yellow Card Kevin-Prince Boateng

United dominating now. They're exchanging passes just outside the area and Pompey seem to be chasing them around. The rain is lashing down at Fratton Park and the home side need to pick up their game quickly if they want to salvage a point, at the very least.

CLOSE!!! Valencia again finds space down the right and crosses and this time its Giggs who sees his shot being parried by a diving Bergovic. Pompey have no clue how to deal with Valencia.

Substitution Frédéric Piquionne Kanu

Yellow Card Gary Neville

Substitutions made by Grant as Kanu is sent on for Piquionne. Portsmouth have looked desperately short of attacking ideas.

Valencia deserves a goal. he makes yet another run down the right and wins a free kick which is taken by Giggs but cleared at the near post for a corner. The corner is cleared. Pompey have had trouble dealing with the pace of the Ecuadorian.

Boateng gets the ball and skips past a couple of challenges before shooting from 25 yards - but its far and wide. Kanu looks like he's going to be thrown on.

CLOSE!!!! They may be winning but they want more. Valencia finds space in the middle and bears down on goal before unleashing an effort with the outside of his boot which curls just wide of the post!!!! Bergovic was beaten there. Pompey have not troubled United yet.

GOAL!!!! UNITED TWO GOALS UP!!! The third penalty of the game goes against the home team. Pompey fail to clear their lines and Giggs pressurises Piquionne in his box before stealing it off him, only to be brought down by the striker. Mike Dean points to the spot and Rooney steps up to grab his hat trick!!!! Game over anyone?

Penalty Goal Wayne Rooney

PENALTY TO UNITED!!!!!

United win a corner after Valencia, who has been charging down that right throughout the game, goes on a mazy run and sees an unmarked Rooney yet again on the left. He tries to find him and O'Hara has to dive to divert the ball for a corner.

That goal seems to have jolted Pompey into life. They looked quite asleep since kick off.

GOAL!!!!! UNITED BACK IN FRONT!!! Touch of class there as Fletcher chips a ball over the top for Giggs to chase. He does and bends a right footed cross just ahead of the last man for an unmarked Rooney to slot home his second!!!! Pompey appealing for offside but the flag stayed down. United ahead and they will feel they deserve that.

Goal Wayne Rooney

CHANCE!!! Giggs plays a brilliant ball to Rooney who had slipped the offside trip. He was looking to shoot but the Pompey defense did well to challenge.

The penalty apparently was against Vidic who was tugging Dindane's shirt as he went up to challenge for the ball. Happens every week but to be fair, I've seen worse given.

And its United who kick off the second half!!

HALFTIME AT FRATTON PARK. Ref blows for halftime and its all level here. United look furious and Neville is still protesting strongly to Mike Dean. But the home side have looked pretty strong themselves and on the whole, it seems to be a fair scoreline. AT HALFTIME: PORTSMOUTH 1 -1 MANCHESTER UNITED

Another foul by Vidic and Pompey have a free kick around 30 yards out on the stroke of halftime....

Things getting slightly heated here. United players still feeling upset by the decision and Fletcher has a go at Boateng who responds in kind. Mike Dean has to step in and the two players shake.

CLOSE!!! United break on the counter and Valencia streaks down the right and cuts back to Fletcher who finds Carrick on the edge of the area. Carrick in turn lays off to Scholes, who lets loose a shot that has to be diverted just wide of the post!!!!

United win a free kick and Giggs takes it but its cleared comfortably. They look short of attacking options, the visitors. Maybe two upfront would help.

Yellow Card Nemanja Vidic

Pompey win another free kick and its floated into the box but its headed wide. Replays of the penalty decision still being shown and its still not clear why it was given, least of all by the linesman.

CHANCE!!!! Portsmouth should be ahead. Carrick is caught in possesion and the ball falls for Boateng who floats a cross over for an unmarked Dindane- who heads wide!!!!!

United trying to get back in front. Scholes has a shot blocked for a corner which comes to nothing.

CHAOS BUT POMPEY LEVEL!!!!! Fletcher is penalised for hand ball and Jamie O'Hara swings the free kick over. Kuszcak comes off his line and punches clear and the ref blows his whistle - for a penalty!!! No one knows why least of all the Pompey players who weren't even appealing. Linesmen had flagged and Mike Dean points to the spot!!! Boateng makes no mistake and Pompey are level!!!! SAF and United players absolutely livid while the Pompey players look bemused.

Penalty Goal Kevin-Prince Boateng

PENALTY TO PORTSMOUTH!!!!!

Game opening up now. A Pompey cross from the left sees Hreidarsson glance his header wide. United go up the other end and Evra crosses from the left but Bergovic collects.

Chance for Pompey!!!!! They win a free kick and Herguson lets loose a volley which is just wide of the post!!! Wouldn't have counted though as Dindane was offside. Still good signs from the home team.

Penalty Goal Wayne Rooney

GOAL!!!! AND UNITED LEAD!!!! SAF watches from the stands as Valencia goes down the right and his cut back finds Rooney who shapes to shoot but Michael Brown stabs from behind. Ref Mike Dean is right behind and has no hesitation pointing to the spot. Rooney steps up and curls it past Begovic!!! United lead against the run of the play!!!

PENALTY TO UNITED!!!!!!

Thats better. A good play sees Giggs tee up Evra on the edge of he box and the Frenchman takes a touch and shoots but his effort curls wide. United look to be settling down.

Fletcher crosses from the right but no one quite attacks it and Kaboul has enough time to gently head it back to Begovic.

That pretty much sums up United at the moment. Brown has the ball and passes to no one on his right touchline with the ball trickling out of play. They're having problems defending and Rooney looks isolated upfront.

United win a corner on a rare attack and Valencia does well to go down to the line but his cut back misses everyone. SAF will want more from his players. His team are distinctly second at the moment.

Yellow Card Aruna Dindane

WHAT A CHANCE!!! A good piece of play sees O'Hara being teed up on the edge of the area and he lets loose a smashing half volley which Kusczak has to stretch to tip over the bar!!!! From the resulting corner United fail to clear their lines and a cross form the left finds Dindane unmarked in the area but he can only head wide!!!! Shoulda done better. United look very very nervous.

Dindane has a shot again but it flies wide. Vidic and Brown have their hands full with the Pompey hitman.

Chance!!!!! Portsmouth go close. Boateng finds Dindane with a through ball and Dindane shapes up to shoot but Kusczak is quick off his line. Seconds later a cross from the left and Evra slides into Dindane who goes to ground, but the ref plays on. United liooking nervy!!!

Chance for the visitors as Valencia is fouled on the edge of the box. Giggs swings in the free kick which is cleared for a corner. He takes the corner and finds Scholes on the edge of the area and Scholes shoots but its just over!!! That was close!!!

United go up the other end and Giggs finds space outside the area after the ball takes a touch off the ref. He swings in a cross but the keeper is out to collect quite easily.

Portsmouth win a free kick just inside United's half and its swung in to the area but Kusczak is out and collects quite comfortably. Grant will want to work on those set pieces. That seems to be their main form of attack.

Nothing much happening. United still looking to attack but the home side looking strong in defense. Giggs gets into a spat but the referee is there on hand to defuse it.

The Red Devils doing all the attacking here. Portsmouth defending deep. Valencia and Giggs playing behind Rooney as the wide men.

And its an early chance already for the visitors as Vidic finds Rononey with a long punt over the top. Rooney beats his man and goes down to the line but its a goal kick. The champions on the attack from the start.

Portsmouth kick us off!!!

Team news for the home side sees Dindane and Piquanne start. The visitors start with Rooney upfront and both veterans Giggs and Scholes playing.

Hello and welcome to Portsmouth vs Manchester United. We're at Fratton Park where Avram Grant takes charge of his first game as the new manager for Portsmouth