AFTER receiving a forearm smash from Ben Thatcher in August, and then being stretchered off following a bad tackle by Joey Barton yesterday, Pedro Mendes will not be looking forward to playing against Manchester City again for many a season. Harry Redknapp, his manager, was sent to the stand at half-time for protesting about it and swearing at referee Mike Dean.

Mendes, though, will relish his goal, which was an amalgam of technical excellence and timing that enabled him to score for the first time in four Premiership matches. That and Kanu’s 12th goal of the season was a deserved and, from their standpoint, necessary victory.

The Portuguese midfielder went off before half time after a tackle from behind by Barton, that perennially controversial individual. Redknapp, who was only yards away when the foul was committed, admitted that he swore at the referee.

“It was a bad tackle. Everybody agreed with that, but only Barton will know if he meant to injure him,” said Redknapp. “But it was nowhere as bad as the challenge by Thatcher, which was horrendous. Pedro has now been carried off twice when playing Manchester City but has scored three great goals.”

Mendes, whom he called “the nicest man in the world”, left Fratton Park on crutches. Redknapp felt that his departure knocked his side’s rhythm. It was on this ground last season that Mendes, invariably a vibrant and influential figure in midfield, with the ability to score from long range, gained a last-minute goal against the same opponents which did much to ensure Portsmouth remained in the Premiership. Then, as now, the ball was struck with precision and strength.

On that occasion, the goal was scored off the underside of the crossbar. Now, after only four minutes, Mendes, hair lanky in the teeming rain, controlled a misplaced defensive clearance on his right instep, touching the ball wide of Sylvain Distin as he did so and hit it left-footed past Andreas Isaksson, making his debut for City, from 25 yards. The Swedish international goalkeeper was hardly at fault. Nor might he have anticipated a shot of such accuracy and power shortly after kick-off in greasy, unreliable conditions in which trapping a ball was executed with some difficulty.

For Portsmouth, who had not won a Premiership match since Boxing Day, the goal was the very fillip they needed. They have been bereft of goals of late, which is a strange state of affairs, given Kanu’s prolific form earlier in the season and that Andy Cole’s ability is seemingly undiminished by the passing years.

Here, the former Arsenal forward was on the substitutes’ bench until the 70th minute, watching Lomana LuaLua attempting to make something of three decent chances in the first half alone.

Portsmouth performed with their zest of old. LuaLua struck the side netting, brought about a decent low save from Isaksson, the Swedish international goalkeeper, and then had a further attempt punched away, which was indicative of how slippery the ball was for both goalkeepers.

As for City, they almost scored through a header from Bernardo Corradi shortly before half-time. David James, very much worthy of an England recall according to supporters in these parts, produced one of his characteristic saves at full-stretch to his right.

Then came Barton’s tackle, which was from behind, prompting Joe Jordan, Portsmouth’s assistant manager, to exchange words with him from the touch-line. Barton was shown a yellow card, which the foul deserved.

After the half-time disagreements off the pitch, Portsmouth never regained their impetus, never again looked so dominant once Mendes had departed.

However, the incident appeared to spur City into belated action. They equalised after 61 minutes through a still-better header from Corradi , this glanced past James from Darius Vassell’s neat cross. Hardly deserved, and from the home supporters point of view, all the worse because that man Barton had started the move.

Being in the stand would not prevent Redknapp replacing Cole with Kanu and, with virtually his first touch, he scored with a low shot. After that, he was booked for diving but few at Fratton Park were concerned.

Stuart Pearce, City’s manager, said he would look at the incident concerning Mendes and Barton on the video footage. “I have only seen it once. It is disappointing that crowds often boo Barton, but then they do that to Ronaldo as well.

“We should have come away with at least a point and would have done if we had imposed ourselves and been a touch more hard-nosed.”

Star man: Pedro Mendes (Portsmouth)

Player Ratings: Portsmouth: James 7, Johnson 6, Campbell 6, Pamarot 6, Traore 6 (Kranjcar 70min, 6), O’Neil 6, Davis 6, Mendes 8 (Lauren 42min, 6), Taylor 6, Cole 5 (Kanu 70min, 6), LuaLua 6

Man City: Isaksson 6, Sun 6, Richards 6, Dunne 6, Distin 6, Barton 5, Dabo 6, Ireland 6 (Beasley 60min, 5), Ball 6, Vassell 6 (Miller 79min, 5), Corradi 6

Scorers: Portsmouth: Mendes 5, Kanu 81

Man City: Corradi 62

Referee: M Dean

Attendance: 19,344