Taylor goes from zero to hero

Portsmouth 2 Middlesbrough 1

Malcolm Christie scored his first since September 2003 in his first start since November of the same year to give injury-ravaged Boro the lead 10 minutes before the end of the first half.

But his dream comeback after a number of serious injuries faded as Pompey redoubled their efforts.

Taylor’s equaliser came five minutes later and although Aiyegbeni Yakubu accepted the congratulations for his 13th Portsmouth goal in the 58th minute, the last touch looked to be applied by Boro’s French full-back Franck Queudrue.

Boro had lost veteran defender Colin Cooper just before the opening goal and were fortunate to survive a Yakubu penalty appeal when Michael Reiziger appeared to bring down the striker.

After those two incidents the visitors’ defending fell to pieces.

Aliou Cisse scrambled the ball from keeper Mark Schwarzer’s hands to set up a quick equaliser for Taylor, whose handball gave Saints a late penalty at St Mary’s.

And Queudrue appeared to apply the final touch to the Ricardo Fuller pass which brought Yakubu racing into the six-yard box.

But Pompey could have thrown it away in the closing minutes when new signings Giannis Skopelitis and Alexander Rodic were introduced from the bench.

Boro were granted tons of possession and had to be denied by dour defending but Kostas Chalkias, the new Greek goalkeeper who looked shaky in Saturday’s cup tie, earned his corn with a brave save which denied Christie, making his first appearance since a substitute role in a UEFA Cup tie in September.

PORTSMOUTH: Chalkias, Primus, Stefanovic, De Zeeuw, Taylor, O’Neil, Cisse, Hughes, Berger (Rodic 81), Fuller (Skopelitis 73), Yakubu.

MIDDLESBROUGH: Schwarzer, Reiziger, Southgate, Cooper (McMahon 29), Queudrue, Parlour, Morrison, Zenden, Downing, Christie (Job 66), Hasselbaink, McMahon (Graham 80).

Ref: P Crossley (Kent).