Redknapp bemoans penalty miss

Portsmouth 0 West Ham United 0

Portsmouth boss Harry Redknapp has another three points – but only on his driving licence after West Ham’s Robert Green stirred the England goalkeeping debate by saving a stoppage-time penalty from Benjani Mwaruwari.

Green’s heroics at Fratton Park prevented Portsmouth notching their fifth consecutive Barclays Premier League win and climbing into the top four.

Redknapp was convicted of a speeding offence on Friday after being caught on camera last April doing 8mph over the limit on the M27 in his Mercedes returning from an after-dinner speaking engagement.

He did not contest the decision and there is no ban – but he has imposed one on his Zimbabwean striker, who will not be taking any more spot-kicks after Green plunged to save his tame, sidefooted effort nearly five minutes into injury time.

Redknapp is a big fan of Benjani but admitted he “gave him a rollicking” afterwards for taking it upon himself to take the penalty.

But he added: “I felt bad having done that. Benji has been brilliant, he’s the league’s top scorer with seven goals and obviously felt confident to take it but I must have ruined his weekend when I told him off.”

Redknapp’s weekend also got worse when he had to pull out of the Great South Run after damaging a calf muscle during preparation for his charity participation.

But he watched David James sound the hooter to start the race in Portsmouth knowing that his goalkeeper, after recently being recalled to the England squad at 37, could now lose his place in the international squad to man-of-the-moment Green.

Green, whose first-ever penalty save came against Reading in September, says he is ready for the England call if it comes but claims just playing for West Ham is motivation enough.

He said: “I did OK again and I’m in good form but as always it is up to the manager who he picks and I’ll lose no sleep over it.”

Although Pompey dominated much of the game against Redknapp’s old club – who have never beaten his current side in five Premier League encounters – West Ham made the best two chances.

Peruvian veteran Nolberto Solano missed them both with weak headers, the second after Carlton Cole’s shot came back off the crossbar on 65 minutes.

It was probably James’ only real moment of anxiety in the game but Green was busy with fine saves from Niko Kranjcar (twice) and Benjani, reserving the most important for last after Danny Gabbidon was harshly pulled up for handball.

Pompey have already suffered penalty disappointment this season, with Kanu having a spot-kick saved in September’s goalless draw with Liverpool.

Redknapp said: “We’ve got to sort out who is going to take them. For me it should be Kranjcar or Muntari and that’s what we said but I can’t run on the pitch and stop arguments.

“At least we got a point and another clean sheet. We are not going to win every match. We are not Man U, Arsenal or Chelsea. But we’ve had a good month and we are OK.”

Redknapp’s next target is reaching the last eight of the Carling Cup at Blackburn’s expense on Wednesday.

He said: “If we get through that we have as good a chance as anyone of winning it.”

West Ham boss Alan Curbishley, who may rest Green from his team’s fourth-round tie at Coventry on Tuesday and hand the gloves to deputy Richard Wright, has already ruled out striker Craig Bellamy with a groin injury.

The Welshman had abdominal surgery last month and Curbishley said it was for this reason he was substituted at half-time, not to save him a red card in a battle with Pompey’s Hermann Hreidarsson.

Curbishley said: “Craig’s injury is not too bad but there’s still something niggling there.

“He won’t be playing Tuesday. He has had this abdominal strain through the pre-season and despite the operation which we went off to have in Germany it has come back again.

“We are not very lucky with injuries at the moment. There’s (Dean) Ashton, (Bobby) Zamora, Scott Parker, Julien Fauberdt, Freddie Ljungberg all out. Now Bellamy.

“He could be weeks out or it could be something that can be sorted out quickly but we have two more games now and then have to worry about the international break again – when I always seem to have players trying to come back from injuries.”