Gekas scores the winner in reserve win

Theo Gekas finally lined-up for the reserves on Tuesday night, and it was the Greek striker that struck in injury-time to give the ressies a 1-0 win over West Ham and extend the unbeaten run to 5 games.

With this goal he also sent another message out to Paul Hart that he 'might' be the man to fire us to guaranteed safety?

This is the report from the Pompey Site...

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GEKAS FIRES RESERVES TO VICTORY

Pompey Reserves 1 West Ham Reserves 0

An injury-time strike from Theofanis Gekas saw Pompey Reserves stretch their unbeaten run to five games with victory over West Ham at Westleigh Park.

The visitors had the game's first chance when Zavon Hines blasted the ball wide of Jamie Ashdown's goal after finding himself in acres of space.

But from then on it was Pompey who started to attack and James Hurst volleyed inches past the post following some good work on the left by Andre Blackman and Pablo Navas Alors.

Gautier Mahoto was next to go close to finding the target after he had been well fed by Gael Nlundulu.

A surging Blackman then ran from the halfway line before being crudely upended by Holmar Orn Eyjolfsson on the edge of the area.

The resulting free-kick was sent into the area and met by Luke Wilkinson, who headed into the arms of Hammers keeper Peter Kurucz.

Pompey were enjoying plenty of possession but were struggling once they got into the final third.

But James Hurst - who normally plays at right-back but was operating in a more advanced position much like Glen Johnson did for the first team at the weekend - went close with a floated shot that narrowly cleared the crossbar.

More good work by Blackman and Navas Alors then led to the latter setting up Mahoto, but his shot failed to trouble Kurucz.

Suddenly West Ham broke free from their defensive shackles and Oliver Lee guided Georg Grasser's cross home from close range, only to be flagged offside.

Moments later, Balint Bajner forced a good save from Ashdown as the Hammers ended the first half with a flourish.

Half Time: Pompey 0 West Ham 0

Hurst picked up where he left off after the break by creating a good opportunity for Gekas, who was not able to get sufficient power on his header.

At the other end, Ashdown had to dive low to his left to tip Lee's speculative effort round the post.

The game settled down after that bright start to the half but it sparked back to life in the final 20 minutes.

First, West Ham substitute Christian Montano was denied at point-blank range by Ashdown, before Gekas showed his pedigree by turning and firing in a shot that was brilliantly saved by Kurucz.

Eyjolfsson was then booked for chopping down Gekas. The Greece striker picked himself up and sent the resulting free-kick just past the post.

With time running out, Hines looked certain to break the deadlock after a rapid Hammers break but he shot wide.

Instead it was Pompey who took all three points when Gekas chested the ball down, played a one-two with Hurst and hammered home an unstoppable shot.

Pompey: Ashdown; Mantyla, Primus, Wilkinson, Blackman; Nlundulu (Bogard 71), Hurst, Pack, Mahoto; Gekas, Navas Alors (Ciftci 71)
Subs not used: Stewart, Ryan, du Chattelier

West Ham: Kurucz, Barrett, Fry, Eyjolfsson, Miller (Brown 75), Kearns, Lee, Grasser, Edgar, Bajner (Montano 46), Hines
Subs not used: Abdulla, Street, McNaughton

Referee: Simon Long
Attendance: 257

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