Portsmouth delighted with Anfield draw

Portsmouth’s goalscoring hero Lomana LuaLua claimed the post-Harry Redknapp era is well under way after his team snatched a 1-1 Barclays Premiership draw at Liverpool tonight.

Steven Gerrard had blasted home a free-kick midway through the second half which appeared to have given the hosts the victory – but former Newcastle striker LuaLua knocked in a close-range header in injury-time after goalkeeper Jerzy Dudek had fumbled a cross.

The draw made it four matches without defeat for Pompey, and Redknapp’s ‘defection’ to arch-rivals Southampton appears to be long-forgotten as the team continue to move forward under the temporary charge of executive director Velimir Zajec and coach Joe Jordan.

“They are going really well,” said LuaLua of the management team.

“It is a lot of pressure, because Harry did well. We wish him all the best - but with the supporters we have we can only do better for them.

“Joe Jordan is a good man. He is similar to Harry in that he gets us motivated.”

Reports continue to suggest former Southampton boss Gordon Strachan could take over at Fratton Park in a bizarre tit-for-tat exchange on the south coast.

But LuaLua is not concerned by the speculation.

“Whatever manager we have, what is important for us is to stay where we are (in the Premiership) and keep [ourselves] up,” he told Sky Premiership Plus.

“At the start of the season, Harry said we were good enough to finish in the top half of the table – and we will try to do that.”

LuaLua paid tribute to his team-mates for their determination to keep trying right until the end at Anfield.

“We kept going. We did not let our heads go down, and finally it paid off,” he added

“We believe in ourselves, and it paid off in the end. We knew we could get a point here so we just kept going.”

Disappointed Liverpool manager Rafael Benitez refused to blame Dudek for the error which led to Portsmouth's late equaliser.

“I think in the last minute they try to cross, and it is unlucky play,” he said.

“I think that the goalkeeper was waiting for a cross. It is very difficult for the goalkeeper.

“We have had many opportunities – but you need to score. Now we lose two points, but we have one more point in the table.”

Portsmouth coach Jordan was overjoyed with a draw, saying: “I’m just delighted to get a point.

“We didn’t think we were going to get anything. We had to defend and endure a bit of pressure.

“It was a great relief to see the goal. We knew we would have to face a little bit of pressure, and they stretched us. But for all those efforts, they scored from a set-piece.”

Despite the good run of results Jordan has ruled himself out of the head coach/manager’s position on a full-time basis.

“Velimir makes a lot of the final decisions, and I am here to pass on a few details to the players,” he said.

“I’m quite happy to concentrate in this capacity. I just hope I am involved in it [the new set-up]. I have enjoyed it – but I have enjoyed it (ever) since I came here.

“This has been a hard month for us, but I think the lads will get some confidence from the results we have got.

“The job Velimir is doing is not the capacity of responsibility he was asked to do. He came to take responsibility for another area of the field.”