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  • Kaboul (33), Kranjcar (65)
  • Greening (48), Dorrans (62)
  • Date:2009-04-11
  • Kick-off:15:00
  • Venue:Fratton Park
  • Attendance:20376
  • Referee:Dean, M

Live Commentary

90mins

Full-Time: PORTSMOUTH 2-2 WEST BROM: Mike Dean brings the game to a close. A draw is probably a fair result at Fratton Park, though both sides will feel they did enough to take all three points.

90mins

Younes Kaboul has picked up a late yellow card.

90mins

Paul Hart tries to run the clock down as Theofanis Gekas comes on for Jermaine Pennant.

90mins

West Brom have a final chance to get the ball into the box as Greening wins a free-kick in the Pompey half.

89mins

Fortune twists and turns on the edge of the box and needs to hook the ball back from the byline but makes another wrong decision as his chipped cross floats into the arms of James.

87mins

The Baggies win a corner and the heads go up for Greening's delivery but a blue shirt gets to it first and heads clear the danger.

84mins

Distin slips and leaves a pathway for Fortune who has an open run into the box but he dwells on the ball and is eventually dispossessed. He had three team-mates wide open in the box and should have squared it.

82mins

Carson plays a terrible pass out to Robinson and Pennant easily dispossesses the Baggies captain before getting a strike at goal but fails to trouble the England keeper who apologies for his mistake.

80mins

Both sides will feel they can go on and win this game as we enter the final ten minutes.

78mins

West Brom make another change as Youssouf Mulumbu comes on for goalscorer Chris Brunt.

77mins

Crouch bursts through the Albion defence and into the box before poking a shot goal-wards but Carson parries the ball away to safety.

76mins

Another Baggies sub sees Gianni Zuiverloon make way for Carl Hoefkens

76mins

Kranjcar lines up another free-kick, this time from further out, but he fails to produce anything magical this time and the ball sails straight down the throat of Carson.

74mins

Tony Mowbray introduces 17-year-old protege Chris Wood to bulk up the Albion strike force. The New Zealand born forward replaces James Morrison.

73mins

A dip in the game sees both managers call players back from warming up on the touchline.

71mins

The game has become very scrappy since the equaliser but the tempo has risen and more goals seem very likely.

69mins

Belhadj finds space for a shot in a decent position but he drags his low strike wide of the mark.

69mins

The goal has lifted Paul Hart's side and the Baggies now have it all to do again after a brilliant start to the second-half.

67mins

A long ball catches the Albion defence off guard and Kranjcar hits a dangerous right-footed volley that grazes the crossbar.

66mins

Kranjcar was also cautioned following that incident.

65mins

Dorrans picks up a booking for a tug on the shirt of Kranjcar.

64mins

PORTSMOUTH 2-2 WEST BROM: KRANJCAR beats Carson and levels the scoreline with a sublime free-kick that curls into the top corner.

64mins

Morrison gives away a silly free-kick and Kranjcar rushes straight over to line up the set piece which is in a great position.

63mins

David Nugent has had a quiet game and leaves the field to be replaced by Nadir Belhadj

63mins

Albion take a deserved lead and Portsmouth have been very sloppy since the interval.

62mins

PORTSMOUTH 1-2 WEST BROM: BRUNT lines up the free-kick and fires it through the wall and into the back of the net.

61mins

Pompey are showing their frustration by giving away a lot of free-kicks and this time Greening is brought down in a very dangerous position.

59mins

Hermann Hreidarsson is cautioned after a late challenge on Zuiverloon.

56mins

Olsson has been solid at the back for the Baggies today and pulls off a terrific last ditch challenge to knock the ball away from Nugent who was about to pull the trigger.

53mins

Dorrans picks out Fortune with a lovely ball but the forward fails to work James as he bends his shot around the far post.

52mins

The Portsmouth fans are not happy with what they are seeing on the pitch and the visitors are in a very good position to go on and win the game.

50mins

The goal sums up West Brom's performance as they have had numerous opportunities but have failed to make them count. On this occasion Greening managed to level the scoreline at the third bite of the cherry.

48mins

PORTSMOUTH 1-1 WEST BROM: Morrison has a couple of efforts parried away by James and eventually GREENING pokes the ball in the back of the net from close range.

46mins

Hughes looks for Crouch in the box and his inviting cross almost finds the forward but Meite reads the situation well

46mins

Pompey kick start the second-half and both sides remain unchanged.

45mins

Half-Time: PORTSMOUTH 1-0 WEST BROM. The Baggies do not deserve to be behind but have been made to rue missed chances by Portsmouth who go in ahead at the break.

44mins

Pennant delivers a free-kick from a wide position but the ball evades everyone in the box and runs out for a goal-kick.

42mins

A looping cross searches out Peter Crouch who is lurking in the danger area but Zuiverloon does just enough to put off the England forward.

40mins

West Brom come forward again and the ball runs through to Zuiverloon in a superb position but his shot lacks conviction and James is equal to it. The full-back should have done better in that position.

38mins

The visitors have regained some of the momentum that they produced in the early stages of this game but need to make the most of their opportunities.

36mins

The Baggies have responded well to the goal and Koren gets another half chance but his shot from the edge of the box is poor and causes James no problems.

35mins

Chris Brunt lets fly from distance and his shot swerves dangerously before grazing James' post. The forward thought he had scored and may have done but for a deflection off the leg of Campbell.

33mins

PORTSMOUTH 1-0 WEST BROM: Pennant causes more problems down the right flank as he plays through KABOUL inside the box who rides two challenges before beating Carson with a clinical finish.

31mins

Pompey seem to be getting a foothold in the game now and the visitors need to weather this storm as their opponents build momentum.

29mins

Pennant runs at the West Brom defence before clipping the ball into the danger area and Gianni Zuiverloon makes a superb defensive header at the far post to prevent a blue shirt easing the ball into the back of the net.

27mins

Pennant hits an ambitious shot from distance and has Carson worried for a moment but in the end it sails wide of the post.

26mins

A Portsmouth corner finds Kranjcar at the near post. He turns Dorrans before hitting a low shot at goal that bounces back off the far post.

25mins

Tony Mowbray's side have looked more dangerous going forward so far and look the more likely of the two sides to create something.

24mins

Campbell goes to sleep at the back and Koren bursts into the box and gets a shot away but James pulls off a fine save to turn the ball around the post.

22mins

Portsmouth are struggling to find a rhythm to their game at the moment and are giving the ball away far too cheaply.

20mins

Hreidarsson is forward for Pompey and his effort at goal deflects off Jonas Olsson. Portsmouth appeal for handball and a penalty but Mike Dean waves away the protests.

17mins

Fortune chases a long ball and is through on goal but the linesman raises his flag for offside.

15mins

The Baggies are doing their best to try and stop the home side getting crosses into the box and Paul Robinson is marking Jermaine Pennant very tightly on the right flank.

13mins

Jonathan Greening moves forward with the ball and reaches the byline before trying to hook a left-footed cross into the box but he sends it straight behind for a goal-kick.

11mins

Pompey win a free-kick in a decent position and Niko Kranjcar looks for Hermann Hreidarsson but a West Brom defender clears the danger with a looping header.

9mins

The visitors are getting into some good positions in the early stages of this game but the forward players seem to have little support from team-mates in attacking areas.

7mins

West Brom work themselves into a decent position and Chris Brunt moves forward with the ball but his cross is poor and sails straight into the arms of David James.

6mins

The ball drops for Younes Kaboul in a dangerous area and he gets a strike away that flashes wide of Carson's post.

5mins

The Baggies are giving Portsmouth no time on the ball at all and Marc-Antoine Fortune chases down Sol Campbell who is forced to play a hopeful long ball forward.

3mins

The fixture looks as though it could be a nervy one and there seems to be a lot of tension around Fratton Park as both sides need to pick as many points as possible at this stage of the season.

1mins

David Nugent makes a lively start to the game and chases a long ball but Scott Carson is quick off his line to boot the ball away to safety.

0mins

Referee Mike Dean gets the game underway.

0mins

Tony Mowbray makes three changes to the West Brom side that were beat by Stoke a week ago. Abdoulaye Meite is given the nod ahead of Shelton Martis while Robert Koren and Graham Dorrans come in for Borja Valero and Jay Simpson.

0mins

The only change to the Portsmouth side that drew 0-0 at Hull last time out sees Jermaine Pennant return to first team action in place of the suspended Glen Johnson.

Match Preview

Portsmouth can put more daylight between themselves and the bottom three when they entertain West Brom on Saturday afternoon.

The hard-fought 0-0 draw at Hull City left Pompey four points above the relegation zone and extended their recent record under Paul Hart and Brian Kidd to one defeat - against Chelsea - in their last six matches.

However, Glen Johnson's controversial red card in the KC Stadium stalemate means the England international will be suspended for the Baggies' visit to Fratton Park.

Hart was baffled by the referee's decision to hand Johnson a second yellow card, saying: "I think the referee was well-placed and, having seen what I saw later, it's difficult to understand.

"I don't think he was being reckless. That was my judgement and I think I was right in that judgement. When people see the last tackle, the alleged tackle, I think they'll agree with me."

Injured quartet Papa Bouba Diop, Jamie Ashdown, Armand Traore and Jerome Thomas will all miss the game.

West Brom now seem certain to be making an immediate return to the Championship after losing 2-0 at home to Stoke City.

That result left Albion eight points away from safety and extended their winless run to nine matches, during which time they have accumulated only three points.

Boss Tony Mowbray has refused to throw the towel in just yet, but was downbeat in the aftermath of last weekend's loss.

He admitted: "This is a huge disappointment. It makes life very difficult for us. We talked about having two big home games against Bolton and Stoke and we've taken one point from them.

"Ultimately we weren't good enough and didn't get the result and Stoke came and did the job. But no-one at our club is going to capitulate and we've still got seven games to play."


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Match Report

West Brom continue to cling to their top-flight status following a spirited 2-2 draw with Portsmouth at Fratton Park, but it was ultimately a game the Premier League basement club could have won.

Scottish Under-21 midfielder Graham Dorrans thought he had sent the Baggies on their way to a first away victory since September, only for Niko Kranjcar's spectacular free-kick to level for the hosts three minutes later.

Albion are six points from safety and have just six games left to save their season and manager Tony Mowbray, whose assistant Mark Venus was sent to the stands following an altercation with a fourth official, admitted post-match it was two points dropped.

Both sides enjoyed openings in a lively first 45 minutes as Pompey midfielder Kranjcar clipped the outside of Scott Carson's post following a Jermaine Pennant short corner.

Baggies midfielder Chris Brunt had a sight of goal when he stole the ball from the feet of Sol Campbell following some indecision between the Portsmouth captain and Hayden Mullins, but the Northern Ireland International sent his finish into the arms of David James.

It was Pompey who took the lead as Pennant's pace down the right took two West Brom defenders away from the penalty area allowing Younes Kaboul space to beat Jonas Olsson and curl in a left-footed strike for his first league goal in a Pompey shirt.

The onus was on the home side to claim a second and effectively kill off West Brom, but Mowbray's side were able to equalise in calamitous circumstances.

Amid a goalmouth scramble Mullins' slide tackle toed the ball back to James for the Portsmouth goalkeeper to hurry his clearance straight to the feet of James Morrison.

The Scottish midfielder's attempt was saved, but Jonathan Greening was on hand to gobble up the rebound.

West Brom then took a surprise lead as Mullins clumsily brought down Greening and Brunt's low free-kick deflected off Dorrans' backside to deceive James.

But Portsmouth were not to be undone and three minutes later Kranjcar's picture book 25-yard free-kick earned them a point in the fight for Premier League survival.

Portsmouth

West Bromwich Albion

Corners

42

Fouls

1610

Goal attempts

1412

Shots off target

95

Offsides

14

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