Thank goodness for Nathan Delfouneso. Had the 19-year-old Aston Villa substitute not popped up with his first goal in the Premier League, to keep his club’s slim hopes of gate-crashing the top four alive, it is a safe bet that Martin O’Neill would have descended into apoplexy.

Villa have not had much luck with penalties since the turn of the year and the manager has found himself at his wits’ end with frustration. He still cannot believe how his team did not get a decision against Chelsea in the FA Cup semi-final and here he was left bemused as the referee Lee Probert ignored two stonewall appeals, by Gabriel Agbonlahor in the first half and the captain Stilian Petrov in the second.

There was also irony in that when Villa did get a penalty, just before the interval, John Carew had his kick saved by David James. The Norwegian went for power but James, in front of the watching England manager Fabio Capello, got a firm hand on the ball to palm it away.

O’Neill, though, could reflect on two decisions that helped to spirit the points to Villa Park. He sent on the strikers Emile Heskey and Delfouneso late in the second half and he watched the two combine for the winning goal. James Milner’s cross was glanced on by Heskey and Delfouneso, with his first touch, snapped up the chance from close range.

Portsmouth continue to bask in the Wembley feelgood factor from their FA Cup semi-final victory over Tottenham Hotspur and the spirit of their players has been irrepressible. Their form, since the nine-point deduction for entering administration, has been as good as any of the clubs towards the foot of the table while the collective will to contribute was illustrated by Kevin-Prince Boateng.

The midfielder had been given leave to return to Germany after the semi-final with Tottenham only for the Icelandic volcano eruption and the grounding of flights to leave him stranded. Portsmouth could add natural disasters to the list of obstacles they have faced. Boateng, however, wended his way back by car and ferry.

He was involved in the opening goal, moments after he had been denied by Brad Friedel at close quarters, with Kanu being foiled by James Collins’s saving challenge on the rebound. Anthony Vanden Borre got the better of Stephen Warnock to pull an astute ball back from the by-line and, with Boateng’s step-over helping to freeze Friedel, Michael Brown arrived to curl in his first goal since Boxing Day 2004.

Villa roused themselves. Carew ought to have scored from point-blank range, rather than side-foot straight at James, following Agbonlahor’s cross yet he finished emphatically moments later when he was afforded the freedom of Fratton Park to power on to Warnock’s long ball. He was played onside by Lenny Sowah, the full Portsmouth debutant, who holds the curious distinction of being the first player born after the formation of the Premier League to play in it.

Villa ought to have led by the interval. Ashley Young’s cross was touched onto his own post by Marc Wilson while Carew saw his penalty, awarded for a foolish trip on him by Papa Bouba Diop, beaten away by James. Villa should have had a penalty earlier but Probert was the only person inside the ground who did not think that Vanden Borre had leaned into Agbonlahor and then dragged him down. Probert gave a free-kick the other way against Agbonlahor.

Although Portsmouth played pleasingly in patches, there was the feeling that the game was there for Villa to take and that they would kick themselves all the way back to the Midlands if they failed to do so.

Agbonlahor headed an excellent chance on 55 minutes too close to James while Young implored Probert to award another penalty after he felt he was caught by Vanden Borre. If that was difficult to call, then there was little doubt in the 79th minute that James made contact with Petrov, after the midfielder had gone around him in the area. O’Neill raged on the touchline but Delfouneso ensured that he would remember the game for happier reasons.

Premier LeaguePortsmouthAston VillaDavid Hytnerguardian.co.uk

In the blue parish of west London all supporter chat will now concern the six games between Chelsea and a first Double. But, after Aston Villa were soundly beaten on a controversial evening, John Terry spoke for the first time of how the club had picked itself up following the 1-1 draw at Blackburn Rovers last month.

That result followed Chelsea’s elimination from the Champions League by José Mourinho’s Inter. Yet since that dark day in Blackburn four consecutive victories and 17 goals have followed to leave Chelsea a point ahead of Manchester United with a game in hand after yesterday’s draw by the champions at Blackburn and with a Cup final date next month.

“We had the disappointment of going out of the Champions League. It meant our focus was no longer on that, that we could focus only on the league, and we went to Blackburn hoping we could win and keep our place at the top. But we didn’t,” Terry said.

This provoked meetings between players and their manager, Carlo Ancelotti. “We had a couple. It goes with the territory, nothing to really write home about. We knew we were disappointing and didn’t really show the fight,” Terry said. “When you go to those places you have to show the fight and that you want it more than them. On that day Blackburn wanted it more than us. They showed more fight than we did, which was not acceptable.”

As captain had he led the way in thrashing out the problem? “Yes. That’s what I’ve done along with Lamps [Frank Lampard] and the other big characters we’ve got here. People like Bally [Michael Ballack] and Petr Cech, who have been through a lot, players worth their weight in gold at a bad time.

“Everyone spoke their mind, we got a few things off our chests that we were feeling and we went again. I don’t want to make too much of a big thing of it but we had a discussion between us, the management, and players, everyone spoke honestly, it was a chance to get it off our chest.”

After second-half goals from Didier Drogba, Lampard and Florent Malouda killed off a fading Villa team Martin O’Neill also needed to vent a little about the performance of the referee, Howard Webb. The Northern Irishman was furious on two counts, and he had a case.

First was Webb’s decision on 15 minutes to turn down a penalty appeal after Mikel Obi John seemed to level Gabriel Agbonlahor in the area. That had O’Neill hopping around in fury. And, when Terry launched a second-half assault on James Milner’s knee, the manager, along with his players, was equally astonished that Webb flourished merely a yellow card.

Having claimed Terry’s tackle might have ended Milner’s career, O’Neill said he would take up Webb’s display with Mike Riley, head of the referees’ board. “I’d spoken to Mike some weeks ago over the decision here in the Carling Cup final,” he said of Phil Dowd’s failure to dismiss Manchester United’s Nemanja Vidic for a foul on Agbonlahor.

“I thought he was quite fair and he sympathised with my plight. He accepted that. And I’m sure he will sympathise with my plight on Monday.”

Milner’s team-mate John Carew claimed Terry “could have sent his lower leg up on to the stand if he hit him right” and O’Neill refused to soften his stance, calling for Terry to apologise.

He said: “He’s [Milner] very fortunate. It was off the ground. Even that in itself is not enough to save you all the time. Listen, forget about the result. In two weeks’ time, it’s forgotten. We’ve got beaten in a game and people will say that they would’ve got beaten anyway, Chelsea scored a couple of goals at the end. I’m not bothered about that. I just want Milner to be fit, to take his rightful place in that squad to go to South Africa. That would be great. I would hope that an apology into the dressing room [may be forthcoming ].”

Did he think this would suffice as Milner, who pointedly refused to discuss the incident after the game, will be a World Cup team-mate of Terry’s? “I really don’t know. That would be something that James and John Terry could be talking about,” O’Neill added.

Chelsea are at home to Bolton on Tuesday in the quest for that first Double.

FA CupAston VillaChelseaJamie Jacksonguardian.co.uk