Hislop saves point for Pompey

Portsmouth 1 Birmingham 1

Shaka Hislop gratefully clutched Birmingham substitute Clinton Morrison’s instinctive injury-time shot and held on to a richly-deserved point as well for Portsmouth’s battling ‘Dad’s Army’ at Fratton Park.

Both sides lit up an action-packed match half with the energy and belligerence that brought them respectable finishes last term and defeat for either would have been gross injustice.

Steve Bruce celebrated his signing of a new five-year contract at St Andrews by fielding three former Chelsea players in Muzzy Izzet, Mario Melchiot and Jesper Gronkjaer.

He also fielded one still at Stamford Bridge in loan-star Mikael Forssell, as debut supporting acts for £6.25million signing Emile Heskey in this Barclays Premiership opener.

But Harry Redknapp’s Portsmouth – with a back-four and goalkeeper Hislop all over 30 – were their equals on a hot and hard-fought afternoon.

Robbie Savage’s splendidly-struck free-kick in only the 10th minute when he curled over the Pompey wall and in off Hislop’s flailing hand and then the underside of the bar, showed that the Welshman’s game is about more than just being a niggling irritant.

And ex-Everton star David Unsworth had lashed home a debut penalty five minutes later after Stan Lazaridis’ push on Steve Stone for the equaliser before Savage laid into home midfielder Richard Hughes, starting a ruck that saw both players yellow- carded.

Despite the summer heat and the rust in the limbs, both teams put everything into the big kick-off and chances came thick and fast at either end in the first half. Birmingham won the bookings count four to two.

And defender Martin Taylor was fortunate only to be booked when he hacked down Aiyegbeni Yakubu on the edge of the box as Portsmouth’s Nigerian striker closed in on a clear scoring chance from a pass by the impressive Hughes.

Lomana LuaLua wafted the free-kick wastefully over the bar and within minutes Birmingham had a real chance when Jesper Gronkjaer’s cross brought a header by the toiling Heskey which Hislop clawed away.

Home skipper Arjan de Zeeuw swung at the loose ball but landed it only as far as Izzet who skied it over the crossbar.

Yakubu should have put Pompey ahead on the half hour but for an outstanding save by Maik Taylor.

The imaginative Patrik Berger showed a beautiful touch to put the Nigerian front man clear in the box but Taylor, who was sent off in City’s defeat at Fratton Park last season, raced off his line to stop the shot.

Forssell, who scored 17 league goals last season, just two fewer than Yakubu, showed that he is fallible too when de Zeeuw jumped ahead of him for a Gronkjaer cross but missed the ball completely and was left claiming the Finn used an arm to knock it on, as Forsell struck his shot straight at Hislop.

Pompey’s ageing rearguard might have been expected to wilt in the heat of the second half and against the pace of Heskey and Lazaridis.

But it was Birmingham’s defence who were put to the test by the wiles of LuaLua and the non-stop running of Yakubu. Fuelled by Berger’s penetrating passes they always had to be watched closely.

Yakubu’s challenge for a bouncing ball muddled Maik Taylor and Matthew Upson and the grounded ‘keeper had to wave a hand like a drowning man to prevent the ball rolling into the net.

He did even better on 71 minutes to keep out an Unsworth drive from a short free- kick by Berger and then got up to foil LuaLua’s close-range follow-up.

Lazaridis lashed inches wide at the other end and sometimes Pompey were hanging on grimly, especially when Linvoy Primus looked to have knocked away a Heskey cross with his hand.

Redknapp substituted the industrious Berger and Stone before the end while Bruce brought on winger Julian Gray for Gronkjaer to field his fifth debut-maker.

It was an even later substitute in Morrison who gave Pompey their biggest scare – with virtually his first kick.