John Utaka double perks up Portsmouth as Sunderland stall

The locals may be revolting, but Portsmouth's players remain admirably defiant. This game was played out to a backdrop of protests demanding the removal of the latest owners and the long-standing chief executive, Peter Storrie, but the mutinous mood was tempered marginally by progress into the fifth round that felt as unlikely as it was impressive. The revenues generated by this Cup run will be a drop in the ocean of debt that the club have accumulated, not least when winning the competition in 2008. But a threadbare squad are clearly enjoying a distraction from league toils. John Utaka's double earned the hosts a win against sloppy and sluggish opponents and, for a giddy few minutes at the end, the Pompey chimes rang out in more upbeat mood. "The spirit was fantastic," said the coach Paul Groves, with Avram Grant waiving his post-match media duties. The Israeli's matchday squad were restricted to five substitutes – David James was present but not involved pending a move to Stoke – with two of his midfielders, Michael Brown and Papa Bouba Diop, picking up injuries to render them doubts for Tuesday's critical visit of West Ham. They go into that contest in better spirits, though the supporters' fury will not subside for long – 500 fans had crammed into Frogmore Road before kick-off to bellow abuse, turning on Storrie with claims that he is "a liar" with the financial pressures on this club showing no signs of easing. The chief executive emerged to receive their petition, though the antipathy spilled into the match itself. Two fans strode on to the turf just after the half-hour, gesticulating to the directors' box, before Aaron Mokoena and Hermann Hreidarsson persuaded them to depart. It may have been a tame pitch invasion, but it added to the overriding sense of anarchy. Sunderland have their own sense of crisis to endure. Steve Bruce's team have won only once in their past 10 matches, against non-League Barrow, and are shorn of confidence. They had the advantage for a while here, Darren Bent volleying in Michael Turner's flick, but rarely suggested they would hold it. Once behind, it was only in the frantic final minute when Asmir Begovic tipped away Bent's free-kick, then Kevin-Prince Boateng hacked David Healy's flick from the goal-line, that they threatened parity. Bruce was unsure whether the ball had crossed the line – "Healy was convinced it was" – though he was certain his side's defending was lamentable. Utaka's first had been mustered with a back header from a punt downfield, the returning Craig Gordon slipping with the ball dribbling over him and in. The Nigerian's second was just as direct, Younes Kaboul's long ball by-passing the centre-backs, with Utaka steering a shot beyond the keeper. For once, the hosts had earned their good fortune.