Cup victory perfect tonic for Redknapp

Harry Redknapp would love to take Portsmouth back to Cardiff and lead his side out in the League Cup final at the Millennium Stadium.

Tuesday night's 2-0 victory over the Championship side at Ninian Park was just the tonic his injury-ravaged squad needed following the defeat to Aston Villa in the Premiership at the weekend.

Redknapp, though, knows better than to take anything for granted just yet. "We have had a good start, we are sitting 10th in the league, which is great for us, and we would love to go all the way in this competition, but who knows?" said the Portsmouth manager.

"You see that advert on the television where they are all buying their suits, then they get drawn against Arsenal and are told to put them all back!

"I think it is important for clubs like Portsmouth. We are not going to win the League, but we are going to have a go at the cups."

Since beating Manchester United in the Premiership at the end of last month, Redknapp has seen his quad depleted by injuries to record signing Diomansy Kamara, captain Nigel Quashie and defender Linvoy Primus.

However, with the likes of Matthew Taylor and Aliou Cissé coming into the starting XI on Tuesday, which also included 23-year-old goalkeeper Jamie Ashdown and youngsters Anthony Pulis and Lewis Buxton on the bench, Pompey eventually reached the quarter-finals comfortably with a second-half double from Aiyegbeni Yakubu.

"We came here and gave Cardiff all the respect they deserve. It was always going to be difficult," said Redknapp. "You have only got to look at Southampton's result at Watford to see that these are difficult games.

"We made a lot of changes, not because I wanted to, but I put out what I felt was my strongest side with what I've got left at the moment. It was still a strong enough team, I felt, to get a result. We needed a goal and once we went in front, I thought we looked OK."

Redknapp added: "They had one or two chances, from set plays and corners. I thought they looked dangerous, but that my goalkeeper did well - he was excellent at what he had to do. He came and took every cross and looked very confident."