Portsmouth (a) Premiership
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Date: Saturday 12th April 2008, 5.15pm Live on Setanta Venue: Fratton Park Conditions: Pre-match rain showers gave way to blue skies and bright sunshine - right in the eyes of those gathered in the front of the away end. Admission: £34 (last season £26) Programme: £3 |
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Portsmouth |
Newcastle United |
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0 - 0 |
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| Half time: | 0 - 0 | |
| Score Sheet: | ||
Teams |
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James Johnson Campbell Distin Hreidarsson Diop Davis Muntari Kranjcar Defoe Kanu |
Harper |
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| Substitutes: | ||
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(75) Nugent for Kanu
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Smith for Viduka (82) |
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| Subs not used: | ||
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Begovic Lauren Hughes Pedro Mendes |
Forster |
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| Bookings: | ||
Johnson
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Barton
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| Dismissals: | ||
| None |
None |
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Referee:
Phil Dowd (Staffordshire) whose only previous game involving us this
season was the thoroughly rotten reverse at Reading. |
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| Attendance: 20,507,
including 2,359 away fans in a sold-out away section - many of whom
had found themselves in the unenviable position of having to alter
their travel plans at 26 days notice when the kickoff time of this
match was altered from 3pm. However there were a number of perpetual attendees who refused to pay the extra wedge or be otherwise dictated by the whims of the Premier League, the TV companies and the clubs. While someone else takes their place there's no obvious effect, but when elements of the hard-core support react to having their lives mucked about it with, then alarm bells should be ringing loud and clear. These people are your bedrock. Of course it could be argued that this rescheduling (and the recent Birmingham Monday night game) is an attempt to deter people from travelling and sell satellite subscriptions to a sector of fans who haven't needed to have them previously....because they've always been at our games. They've finally managed to bang together some corrugated iron and girders to cover the away terrace, after 110 years of it being left open to the elements:
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Goals |
Half time: Pompey 0 Newcastle 0
We Said |
Kevin Keegan commented:
"There
were lots of chances but a combination of good keeping and players being over
hasty kept it at 0-0. A draw was right but a 0-0
draw - I'm not so sure.
"We
had other chances and probably should have won the way we played.
We've come up against a really good team with an exceptional goalkeeper who in
any other season would be named player of the year for the way he's performed.
"I know he's been nominated by the football writers for it but if he
doesn't win it they should strike a special award for him. He's that good.
“You look at it through rose-tinted glasses when you manage Newcastle. I can
remember some good chances against Schmeichel, smacking against his head or face
I think it was, and David James has had such a season hasn’t he? He could save
it with his cap at the moment.
“And then I can think of chances that Defoe had, so I don’t think I can come here and say we deserved the win, but we certainly deserved at least a draw.
"It is a sign of progress and that is what I have said
to the players because we are disappointed not to get anything out of this game.
"The defence know that if they do concede a goal, we do have goals in us to
get back into the game, which I do not think they felt six or eight weeks ago
when I first came.
"I think Michael's future does lie there. I think he is a clever footballer
and I think that withdrawn role means that you cannot mark him out of the game.
He doesn't give it away very often.
"At the moment, it is a fantastic way that he is playing in that role. It
gives Fabio Capello a nice problem.
"We need to tie him down to a new contract and I am almost certain that he will sign it, as certain as you can be. He will lead the club for the next three of four years.
"But getting a point here is certainly another good result although both Harry and I are bound to say it's two points dropped on chances.
"We've come up against a really good
team with an exceptional goalkeeper who in any other season would be named
player of the year for the way he's performed.
"Michael Owen was superb. He's in a new position for us, linking the
midfield and attack and people just don't realise how fit he is.
"The Newcastle fans haven't seen him that much because of injuries but he's come back and played 20-odd games now.
"He's our leader now and covers phenomenal distances during matches. He's a fantastic player and I didn't know how good he is when I had him with England."
They Said |
'Arry ventured:
"The lads have been great and did well in midweek to win at West Ham
but I think they were a bit tired today.
"We have played an FA Cup final and two premier league games in 7 days
without conceding a goal and winning 2 out 3 of the games so we cannot be too
unhappy can we.
"I know it might be seen as two points dropped in the quest to catch
Everton but they still have some very tough games to go - and I would rather
have our fixtures than theirs - so we still have a fantastic chance to finish
fifth.
"That was a save by Jamo. The shot hit his head and went over.
"He's had two great seasons for us and I couldn't tell you how many
points he's been worth to us in that time. He hasn't had too scary moments for
us although there were one or two today.
"But it's great for him to be nominated in the player of the year
shortlist even though I'm still convinced Ronaldo will win it".
Stats |
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Toon @ Fratton Park: This was the 34th meeting of the two sides here and so far we've won 11, drawn 8 and lost 15. Our last top flight success came in the final away game of the 1988 season in glorious sunshine. 2007/08: Drew 0-0 2006/07: Lost 1-2 Emre (pen) 2005/06: Drew 0-0 2004/05: Drew 1-1 Dyer 2003/04: Drew 1-1 Bellamy 1992/93: Lost 0-2 1991/92: Lost 1-3 Quinn 1990/91: Won 1-0 Brock 1989/90: Drew 1-1 Quinn 1987/88: Won 2-1 Lormor, Scott 1983/84: Won 4-1 Beardsley 2, Keegan 2 1964/65: Won 2-1 Cummings, Robson 1963/64: Lost 2-5 McGarry, Hilley 1962/63: Lost 1-3 McGarry 1958/59: Won 5-1 Curry 3, Eastham, Taylor 1957/58: Drew 2-2 Curry, Hill 1956/57: Drew 2-2 R.Davies 2. 1955/56: Won 2-0 Curry, Keeble 1954/55: Lost 1-3 Keeble 1953/54: Lost 0-2 1952/53: Lost 1-5 Keeble 1951/52: Won 4-2 (FAC) Milburn 3, G.Robledo. 1951/52: Lost 1-3 Milburn 1950/51: Drew 0-0 1949/50: Lost 0-1 1948/49: Lost 0-1 1933/34: Lost 0-2 1932/33: Lost 0-2 1931/32: Lost 0-6 1930/31: Won 2-1 Bedford, Lang 1929/30: Lost 0-2 1928/29: Won 1-0 Harris 1927/28: Won 1-0 Seymour 1923/24: Won 4-2 (FAC) Seymour, Harris, Low, Gibson This was our 67th
meeting with Pompey in all competitions and so far we have won 29, drawn 17 and
lost 21. Both sides still await their 100th goal in these fixtures. The crash happened in Hampshire Terrace, Southsea, following Pompey's 0-0 draw with Newcastle at Fratton Park on Saturday. Team coaches are always given police escorts out of the city, and as the coach travelled towards the M275 one of the two police motorcyclists ran into the back of a silver Vauxhall Vectra about 8.25pm. |
Waffle |
Our headline from this one was "United
miss the cut" which may have misled some into thinking they'd tuned in to
online coverage of the US Masters from Augusta.
However we were referring to the final score from Fratton, which could also have
read Barnet 0....
This outbreak of folically-related punning stems from the 71st minute incident
that almost gave us a fourth consecutive win.
Unfortunately at that point, Pompey 'keeper David James managed to atone for
Sylvain Distin's miskicked clearance by blocking Michael Owen's snap shot from
just six yards.
While it was obvious from the away end that we hadn't scored, it only became
clear from TV replays that the vital contact that was sufficient to propel the
ball over the crossbar had come from the top of the keeper's head.
Post-match, James confirmed that, “I would not have been able to make that
save if I’d had my hair cut.”
This draw meant that we extended our unbeaten run to five games and emulated
the feat of the current top five in the league - Man U, Arsenal, Chelsea,
Liverpool and Everton - in taking a point on the south coast.
That's a result few would have forecast after our 1-4 home humiliation at the
hands of Pompey last November - or even a month ago before our recent
renaissance.
In truth this wasn't a classic, those away fans who made considerable
sacrifices to get to the rearranged teatime kickoff not rewarded for their
efforts with a goal to cheer.
Geremi came as close as anyone with a powerful effort in the second half, while
Viduka saw a mishit close-range shot blocked before the break.
Martins gave another whole-hearted performance and wriggled through to test
James at one point, before dragging his shot wide of the goal in added time.
With Pompey having played in midweek after their Wembley success there was a
certain lethargy about them - while we frequently and frustratingly lost
possession, as well as squandering numerous set pieces.
Owen was left to rue the one that got away as he failed to register for a fifth
game in a row, but at the other end Steve Harper extended his shut out record
past the four hour mark.
The chief threat to his goal came from in-form striker Jermaine Defoe, but
Harper blocked his sole effort on target and watched as two other chances went
wide.
Match referee Phil Dowd came in for some stick from the Pompey fans for his
portly appearance and failure to award a penalty kick for Steven Taylor's
handball.
Replays confirmed though that the fit-again defender had inadvertently deflected
a shot onto his own hand - which would have an absolute travesty had it been
penalised.
With four games remaining, we remain in twelfth position, ten points ahead of
third-bottom Bolton.
Victory next week over the forces of darkness would mathematically secure our
top flight status* and also see us exceed our lowest-ever Premier League points
total on home soil (currently we have 26; 1998/99's total was 27).
*assuming that the Trotters won at Boro on Saturday.
Biffa
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