Magpies fail to break down Pompey

Portsmouth 0 Newcastle 0

With Michael Owen sidelined, Newcastle missed a cutting edge at Fratton Park this afternoon.

But once again it was Portsmouth’s own lack of quality in front of goal which proved costly as their quest for a first home win of the season goes on.

The England striker’s absence with a dead leg will be of some concern to Sven-Goran Eriksson ahead of the crucial World Cup qualifiers against Austria and Poland over the next 10 days.

However, Pompey manager Alain Perrin will be left wondering just how his side failed to see off an average Newcastle side this afternoon.

The hosts had the better of the possession and chances, with visiting goalkeeper Shay Given saving well from Dario Silva and Gary O’Neil in the first half – and also producing two fine stops late on to deny Matthew Taylor.

There had not been a goalless draw in this league fixture at Fratton Park in 19 meetings since 1950 – but today’s stalemate left more questions than it answered.

Pompey – deploying three banks of three, with one attacker – had started brightly enough.

They were awarded an early free-kick in a central position, 25 yards out, but Silva smashed his effort high and wide.

Magpies manager Graeme Souness had opted for a 4-4-2 formation, and his team looked to find in-form winger Charles N’Zogbia as often as possible in support of the frontmen.

Pompey, however, should have taken the lead in the 16th minute.

O’Neil was released into the right side of the penalty by a fine chip from Zvonimir Vukic, and his low centre found Silva in the six-yard box – only for Given to produce a brilliant reaction save with his legs from the striker’s flick at point-blank range.

The visitors then soaked up a fair amount of pressure, though Taylor had to make a brave block to stop Silva’s snap-shot from the edge of the area.

Jean-Alain Boumsong then made a timely saving tackle as Vukic shaped to shoot from just inside the box, with the impressive Croatian then firing the ball just over from similar range a few moments later.

As the half-hour mark approached, Portsmouth were becoming dominant.

Given made another decent save when standing up at the far post to deny O’Neil, who again had got in on the right.

In a rare moment of action in the Pompey half, N’Zogbia skipped clear down the left channel and to the goal line.

His low centre across the six-yard box was spilled by Jamie Ashdown, but fortunately for the Pompey goalkeeper, no Newcastle player was up in support to stab the loose ball home.

With three minutes of the first half left, the Frenchman almost found Ameobi in space eight yards out. But this time Ashdown’s handling was first class as he clung onto the ball when going to ground.

Newcastle made a change at the break, with Robbie Elliott replacing Celestine Babayaro, but it was Pompey who started brightly.

From one chance, Silva got in at the far post but could not direct his header on target.

With an hour almost played, the tempo of the match dropped somewhat, as Pompey sat back and aimed to utilise the counter-attack themselves.

Gregory Vignal’s chip through the centre of the Newcastle defence was just too far ahead of Vukic, who was still full of running from midfield.

As the game entered the final 20 minutes, Newcastle midfielder Lee Bowyer was somewhat fortunate to escape any punishment for what looked a rash, two-footed challenge on Gregory Vignal – directly in front of the dugouts.

Shearer crashed a 20-yard free-kick straight into the wall, and with nine minutes left, Given twice denied Matthew Taylor with fine saves in quick succession.

The first came from point-blank range and then Given turned the midfielder’s header around the post from the resulting corner.

To sum up Pompey’s afternoon, Vukic was cautioned for diving after knocking the ball past Given in the area, with the home fans screaming for a late penalty.

In the end, though, they again left Fratton Park in frustration.