John Utaka talks of 'turning point' after brace bags Portsmouth victory

John Utaka spoke of this being "a turning point", a springboard to Premier League recovery, though Portsmouth can barely consider life devoid of crisis these days. An afternoon of dissent in the streets around this stadium, with fans ­clogging up ­Frogmore Road prior to kick-off ­demanding the heads of those on their club's board, ended with an unexpected place in the fifth round, but with backroom staff fretting over walking wounded with more significant challenges ahead. Michael Brown and Papa Bouba Diop hobbled early from this contest to leave the 16-man match-day squad stretched to breaking point. Their back and hamstring injuries respectively will be assessed today with West Ham, five points and four places above Pompey at the foot of the Premier League, due at Fratton Park tomorrow night. Youth team players could bolster numbers but, while Avram Grant curses the untimely scheduling of the Africa Cup of Nations, the manager's options have been stripped bare. The club are pinning hope on the Premier League lifting their transfer embargo – Portsmouth, ever optimistic, believe that could occur today – potentially allowing Grant six days to wheel and deal, though with January's wages due at the end of the week, quite what funds might be available to the Israeli remains a mystery. The FA Cup will stretch his resources further from now on in. Progress was admirable here given the poisonous mood that had engulfed this arena in the build-up, with the chief executive Peter Storrie roundly abused by the protesters as he accepted their pre-match petition and two fans striding on to the turf just after the half-hour to maintain the show of disgust. Storrie, sitting with the non-executive chairman Sulaiman al-Fahim in the directors' box, had admitted in his programme notes that "all the money received on transfers over the last 18 months" has already been spent. He had also praised the latest owners, Ali al-Faraj and his associates, for doing "all they can to bring in new finance to stabilise the situation", though the locals' patience is out. This competition has arguably come to represent the misguided ambition that propelled Pompey towards financial oblivion. When the Cup was claimed in 2008, the club was living horribly beyond its means. Now, though, the players are clinging to what momentum can be generated by their three-match unbeaten run – two ties against Coventry and this win over a vulnerable Sunderland – to bolster their league chances. "We hope this will be the turning point, and we will fight together to put in our best against West Ham," said Utaka, whose brace was smartly taken. "I honestly believe we don't deserve to be where we are and, hopefully, we can start climbing the table. The FA Cup is still a magic competition and, for me, is just as important as the league." Neither the creditors nor the club's hierarchy would agree with that assessment, but it is a welcome distraction. ­Sunderland, in truth, need one of their own. Steve Bruce's team now boast a ­solitary win, against Barrow, in 10 games and, while this was an improvement from the feeble showing at Chelsea the previous weekend, it was still appallingly sloppy at times. Darren Bent's early goal proved deceptive. "We can't keep relying on Darren," said Bruce. "We've got to stop giving away these bad goals." "I think confidence is a problem," admitted Lorik Cana. "We are not playing with the same freedom we were at the start of the season, but when you haven't won for a while, you lose confidence slowly. We must remember we have quality and we have experience." They have more of it than Portsmouth's paper-thin squad, yet it is counting for little at present. A trip to Everton in midweek feels unwelcome. Man of the match John Utaka