Kick-off: 15:00
Venue: Fratton Park
Attendance: 20220
Referee: Bennett, S

Live Commentary

94mins

Game ends with the spoils shared between the two sides. Portsmouth will be aggrieved not to have taken the full 3 points in an encouraging and spirited performance.

93mins

Shearer tries a spectacular overhead kick but is thwarted by Andy O'Brien.

92mins

N'Zogbia cross into the centre. Gasps as Ashdown lets the ball drift only inches wide.

88mins

N'Zogbia wins a corner for Newcastle on the far side. Terrible corner from N'Zogbia who curls the ball out of play before it comes in.

87mins

Vukic appears to be brought down by Shay Given but is booked for diving.

86mins

Former Pompey man Amdy Faye comes on for Newcastle.

85mins

Vignal powers through the centre to release Dario Silva but Steven Taylor slides in at the last minute.

83mins

Succession of corners after Matthew Taylor pulls a world class save out of Shay Given.

79mins

Gary O'Neil free kick narrowly misses the head of Dejan Stefanovic.

77mins

Amoebi brought down by O'Brien just outside the area. Shearer takes the free kick but his effort is blocked by Gary O'Neill. Pompey broke with Frank Songo'o who played the ball through to Dario Silva who gave the ball away in an excellent position.

75mins

Portsmouth revert to a 442 formation with Frank Songo'o coming on to replace Andy Griffin.

73mins

Strong challenge by Lee Bowyer on Gregory Vignal leads to a tete a' tete between the two players. After a brief flare-up matters calm down. Dario Silva gets round the back of the Newcastle defence, however he is stopped in his tracks by Stephen Carr.

69mins

Trademark flick on by Alan Shearer puts Shola Amoebi through on goal but the striker is foiled by a last ditch challenge from Andy Griffin.

68mins

Robbie Elliot with a snapshot from the edge of the Pompey area, but it fails to trouble Jamie Ashdown.Salif Diao replaced by Richard Hughes.

67mins

Hughes' enters the fray and his first action is to push Alan Shearer to the turf. Griffin cross headed away at the last by Stephen Carr.

66mins

Portmsmouth free kick quickly taken by Matthew Taylor but it is driven straight at Shay Given

65mins

Newcastle frustrating Portsmouth with some resolute defending. Jean Alain Boumsong is impressing at the heart of the Toon defence.

63mins

Vukic given an excellent opportunity to attack the Newcastle backline but his control lets him down. Matthew Taylor given the ball down the right but shirks out of a challenge with Jean-Alain Boumsong.

61mins

Newcastle awarded a free kick after a foul on Alan Shearer by Andy O'Brien.Alan Shearer drives the free kick straight against the Portsmouth wall.

60mins

Charles Nzogbia tries to take on Andy Griffin down the left but is shackled by the former Utd defender.

56mins

Taylor with a low cross in to the centre, Jean Alain Boumsong directs it out for a corner. Gary O'Neil takes the corner kick towards Dejan Stefanovic but Jean-Alain Boumsong once again manages to do enough to distract the former Serbia and Montenegro

54mins

Amoebi plays the ball in to the box but it is cleared by Brian Priske for a Newcastle corner. Once again the corner hits the first man.

53mins

Free kick for Newcastle taken by Jean-Alain Boumsong, ball played through to Shola Ameobi who is ruled narrowly offside.

52mins

Silva picks up a loose ball and knocks it to the far right post but Gregory Vignal fails to connect.

50mins

Dario Silva selfishy goes for goal with Vukic screaming for the ball in yards of space, missed opportunity for Portsmouth.

49mins

Portsmouth caught on the break. Alan Shearer collects the ball on the right but his ball in the box is a dissapointing one.

48mins

Gary O'Neil plays a sublime ball into the box which Vukic is a whisker away from connecting with.

46mins

Newcastle bring on Robbie Elliott to replace Celestine Babayaro. Portsmouth retain the same XI that started the game. Portsmouth once again push Newcastle straight on to the back foot.

45mins

Newcastle lucky not to have gone in behind after Portsmouth dominated the first half with Zvonimir Vukic in great form.

44mins

Jamie Ashdown slices the ball out of play with a weak goal kick that presents Newcastle with an attacking throw in. Throw is taken quickly to Scott Parker who volleys wide of Jamie Ashdowns left hand post.

42mins

Lovely bit of showboating from Charles N'Zogbia who delicatly nutmegs Andy Griffin

40mins

Newcastle win a free kick from around 30 yards out to the left, taken by Charles N'Zogbia but it is straight down the throat of Jamie Ashdown

39mins

Furore amongst the Toon fans when the Portsmouth players fail to put the ball out of play after Lee Bowyer went down injured.

37mins

Dario Silva gets to the bi-line, but the ball slips only just out of play.The Uraguyan's claims for a free kick are waved away.

36mins

Charles N'Zogbia swirls in a viscious ball which causes mayhem in the Portsmouth box but the Newcastle forwards are unable to connect.

34mins

Stephen Carr beats two pompey defenders on the right channel to win a corner for Newcastle.The corner is taken weakly by Lee Bowyer

33mins

Shearer falls awkwardly after a collision with Gregory Vignal and there is a break in play as the talismanic Toon striker recieves treatment.

32mins

Newcastle give the ball away on the half way line to Dario Silva but make a lucky escape when Silva plays the ball to Vignal whose control lets him down.

29mins

Excellent stuff from Pompey who are repeatedly hitting the Geordies on the break. Dario Silva presented with another opportunity on the righ hand side of the box and forces a quite brilliant save from Irish stopper Shay Given

27mins

Attacking throw in from Taylor, ball falls to Vukic who fires only just over the bar.

26mins

Zvonimir Vukic given an excellent opportunity to pull the trigger by Brian Priske but the midfielder dwells too long allowing Jean-Alain Boumsong to step in

25mins

Matthew Taylor plays the ball to Dario Silva who plays it through to Gregory Vignal who wins another corner for Portsmouth. Matthew Taylor's resulting corner dissapoints.

23mins

Lee Bowyer plays a ball down the right channel for Stephen Carr but it is too strong and goes out of play.

22mins

Gregory Vignal works ball to Dario Silva through the middle of the park. Dario Silva pulls the trigger but Steven Taylor lunges in to stop the goalbound effort.

20mins

Throw in level with the edge of the penalty area is wasted by Matthew Taylor

19mins

Zvonimir Vukic proving the difference between the sides. The playmaker is causing all kinds of problems for the Tynesiders' with his craft and ability to find space.

18mins

Gary O'Neil and Zvonimir Vukic combine well to win a corner. The low corner from Matthew Taylor is punted away by Celestine Babayaro.

15mins

Zvonimir Vukic worked the ball excellently down the right before playing the ball to Gary o'Neill in the centre. Gary O'Neil played the ball through to Dario Silva who seemed destined to score but was foiled by Shay Given.

13mins

Zvonimir Vukic wins the ball down the left after excellent play by Gary O'Neil. Zvonimir Vukic played it to Vignal but Jean-Alain Boumsong stepped in to stop the Frenchman getting in an effort on goal

11mins

Diao impressing for Portsmouth. However Newcastle win a free kick taken by Charles N'Zogbia which causes problems for Jamie Ashdown.

7mins

Alan Sheaer strike from 12 yards out on the left goes narrowly wide

5mins

Free kick from the right by Dario Silva goes out of play

3mins

Vignal free kick from 30 yards out sails over the top of the Newcastle bar.

0mins

Game begins with Pompey immediately on the offensive

Match Report

Michael Owen failed a fitness test before the start and Newcastle badly missed his cutting edge in a sterile match at Fratton Park.

Owen decided not to risk an injury to a leg, sustained in training, but the expensive signing from Real Madrid will be fit to play for England in the next round of Internationals next week.

Shola Ameobi, drafted in as Owen's replacement, endured a nightmare match in attack leaving Alan Shearer as an isolated threat.

Newcastle were also without Nolberto Solano, Emre, Kieron Dyer and the result was that Portsmouth spent much of the match in control without being able to turn their pressure into goals.

But the man behind Newcastle's draw was their goalkeeper Shay Given who made a series of top-class saves to deny Portsmouth, who are still looking for their second win of the season.

Graeme Souness was quick to praise Given for his part in Newcastle keeping a clean sheet after some poor defensive performances in recent matches.

Souness said: "Given made at least three top-class saves. He is a top-class goalkeeper and I don't think anyone who knows him would disagree that he is as good as it gets in the Premiership.

"It is hard to say who is the number one goalkeeper but, put it this way, I would not swap him."

While Owen chose to sit out the match, Scott Parker passed a fitness test and got through plenty of hard work in midfield.

Souness added: "I cannot say I am pleased with a draw and, yes, I am disappointed not to have won, but I am not sure we would have deserved it.

"We battled well enough and worked hard and kept Portsmouth in control.

"But without Solano, Emre and Dyer to create some magic we were not the same force. With them I would have expected to win if they had been available.

"I should think the Portsmouth manager must be delighted. His players worked their socks off for him.

"We were sloppy in our passing, but I could not have asked for more from my players and it is a plus that we did not concede any goals."

Given made two fine saves in the first half, keeping out shots from Dario Silva with his foot after 15 minutes and then diving to his left to push away a fierce shot from Gary O'Neil.

But his best saves came in the last nine minutes when a centre from Brian Priske found Matt Taylor unmarked and only six yards out.

But Given made an instinctive reaction save to push the ball over the bar to become an early contender for save of the season.

From the corner taken on the right by O'Neil, Taylor was again unmarked and Given dived to his left to save again.

There was a scare for the Newcastle camp which included more than 1,000 travelling fans when, in the last minute, Given appeared to have brought down Zvonimir Vukic down as the Serbian international attempted to go around the keeper.

But referee Steve Bennett decided Vukic had dived and instead of awarding a penalty produced a yellow card for the culprit.

Newcastle failed to create a single clear opening and Shearer was reduced to taking long-range free-kicks in a bid to break the deadlock.

Portsmouth are still looking for their first home win, but manager Alain Perrin says he no longer fears getting the sack.

Perrin's future was the subject of debate during the week after Portsmouth had suffered two defeats including one in the Carling Cup at League One Gillingham.

Pompey had plenty of possession and produced some neat football but had nothing to show for it, to the disappointment of their largest crowd of the season.

Perrin said: "Keeping a clean sheet when you go away is good news but it is not good enough at home.

"I was worried we might concede a goal at the end when the game became much more open. I decided not to risk it and put on another midfield player.

"I was disappointed we did not win after being in control for so long and our record is not good yet.

"My job is to find a solution to our problems. I am impatient for a win and I hope the Chairman will be patient with me."

Perrin refused to talk about the late penalty incident and was more concerned at the level of performance from his team.

He added: "I would rather play rubbish and win than play well as we did against Newcastle and manage only to draw."

Perrin received criticism from Portsmouth fans for starting the match with only one striker in Dario Silva.

His former Newcastle flair player Lomana LuaLua was recovering from a dose of malaria, while Laurent Robert was denied the opportunity to face his old club because the Football Association would not allow him, as a loan player, to play against his parent club.

Newcastle had Steven Taylor booked for a foul in the second half and Parker got the same for a clumsy midfield challenge as Newcastle battled to hold out.

Pompey keeper Jamie Ashdown had almost nothing to do but he prevented Charles N'Zogbia from scoring a surprise goal in the 37th minute.

N'Zogbia intended to centre from the left, but the ball dipped towards the near post and Ashdown had to change direction at the last second to keep the ball out with his chest.

Man of the Match: Shay Given - Some outstanding saves kept out Portsmouth. No wonder Graeme Souness rates him as the best in the country.

Portsmouth Team

Newcastle United Team

Portsmouth

Newcastle United

Corners

Fouls

Goal attempts

Shots off target

Offsides