Middlesbrough have a late half chance to steal a point through Adam Johnson but his long range effort is well over the bar.

Unselfish from Belhadj who, with an open goal, slides it sidewards for Defoe but Gary O'Neil is on the line to deny him the hat-trick yet again.

Defoe is denied a superb hat-trick by Turnbull who has been brilliant between the sticks this afternoon and does not deserve to be on the losing side.

Middlesbrough have a chance with a free-kick that Alves will take but he hits the wall and Portsmouth can break, however Utaka's delivery was poor and Boro' escaped.

It really is all one way traffic at the moment with Portsmouth pushing hard for the winning goal and Middlesbrough seem incapable of re-creating the form they showed in the first half.

What a waste from Sean Davis! Lovely backheel from Defoe into his path but instead of placing it into the bottom corner Davis tries to chip it over Turnbull who is able to tip it over.

John Utaka does his best Cristiano Ronaldo impression, with a truckload of step-overs, as he tries to lose Pogatetz but he fails with the shot that he screws well wide.

Jermain Defoe is involved in absolutely everything here and he does brilliantly to somehow direct a shot goalwards from a horrible angle and it bobbles just millimetres wide of the far post wiht Crouch just millimetres away from tapping it in himself

End to end stuff now at Fratton Park with both sides going all out for the three points. Aliadiere drives to the byline and cuts back for Mido but Distin steps in to clear and immediately at the other end Defoe's shot is blocked by Huth.

For the first time in the half Downing has his foot on the ball and runs at Distin who sticks out a leg and appears to bring down the winger but the referee is not impressed - Boro are incensed and they could well have a case.

Gareth Southgate needs to change something because his side are being overrrun at the moment as Defoe chips a clever ball for Crouch but Turnbull is again out smartly - if that had been the other way round it would have been real danger.

Here they come again and this time it is Utaka running dangerously at Pogatetz and he warms the palms of Turnbull who gets himself behind the shot.

More pressure from Portsmouth as they drive forward again and the ball rolls out to Sean Davis who chances his luck and is the latest to go within inches of the top corner.

In fact Digard is coming back onto the pitch and although he is limping he is going to have a go.

A worry for Boro as Didier Digard looks in real trouble with a knock to his left knee and it looks bad for the Frenchman who is probably going to come off very soon.

Portsmouth are a different animal in this second half and Defoe looks lively. The diminuitive striker runs at the back four and shoots from the edge of the box but this time drags it a fraction wide.

Free-kick for Portsmouth and they now want a penalty as Defoe's effort strikes Aliadiere - possibly on the arm - but that would have been extremely harsh.

Ross Turnbull is giving himself a real chance of keeping the number one spot after today as he claims another difficult cross to ease the pressure on his defenders.

The hosts are piling on some early pressure in this half and Diarra is given room to let fly from 25 yards and its whistle just past the post. This is a good response from Pompey.

However, it is almost an equaliser for Portsmouth and probably should have been! Traore beats Hoyte and bends a lovely cross for Defoe who gets it horribly wrong at the far post but Crouch and Diop are coming in and somehow fail to finish it off.

The hosts muster their first effort in anger in what must feel like an eternity for their fans but it is nothing to write home about for Papa Bouba Diop as he blazes it wildly over and wide from long range.

Middlesbrough are in charge as we approach the half-time interval with Mido starting to really impact the game once again and he crosses low into the box but fortunately for Pompey noone is there for the visitors.

Jeremie Aliadiere has a great chance to extend Boro's lead but Sylvain Distin, making his 50th Portsmouth appearance today, slides in to block.

An update on the Portsmouth formation and they appear to be using Johnson and Traore as wing-backs, however they are being pinned back by Downing and Aliadiere.

Didier Digard has been impressive so far today and looks like an astute purchase by Southgate, for the time being he is dominating his fellow countryman Diarra.

Jermain Defoe is getting frustrated now - it is amazing how expressions can change so quickly - as he is caught offside yet again trying to run in behind.

Boro's attack looks a little disjointed with the likes of Downing, Alves and Mido all appearing in rather alien positions and it does not seem to be a deliberate tactic.

Mido and Alves seem to be an awful long way apart at the moment with both tending to occupy similar positions on opposite sides of the pitch - Southgate could do with getting them closer together.

The atmosphere at Fratton Park is always lively but often without the fans trying too hard - it is so close and intimate that their is a permanent buzz around the pitch.

Pompey are starting to find their feet and Diarra is really orchestrating the play as he loops a clever ball to the backpost where Riggott does brilliantly to deny Crouch a free header.

For the first time Defoe gets to turn and make himself half a yard of space to let fly from the edge of the box but Turnbull is equal to it.

Another intriguing battle on the other side of the pitch is brewing as former Arsenal full back Justin Hoyte faces on-loan Arsenal defender Armand Traore - for now the Boro' man is winning this one.

Stewart Downing and Glen Johnson probably faced each other on a number of occasions while on England duty and it is the Pompey defender who wins the first battle of the afternoon as he outmuscles Downing to win the ball.

A good open start to this game with plenty of tackles being thrown into the mix - by the way congratulations to Gareth Southgate on collecting the Manager of the Month award for August.

Afonso Alves wastes a terrific chance! Might be a little harsh but Digard whips a dangerous ball across the six-yard box and the Brazilian does not really react and David James' goal escapes unharmed.

Pompey have quite a flexible formation today with the potential to play 5-3-2, 3-5-2 or just a standard 4-4-2 depending on how Harry Redknapp uses Glen Johnson and Armand Traore - an early offside is given against Jermain Defoe.