Portsmouth Football Club News

Pompey’s build-up to the new Premier League campaign continued with a goalless draw against Basingstoke at The Camrose. It was the hosts who threatened first when, on five minutes, David Pratt robbed trialist Thierry Audel in the box and fired against the post. Pratt was causing Pompey plenty of problems and he tested Asmir Begovic with an angled drive, before strike partner Jahson Downes went close with a deflected strike. Downes then found himself in plenty of space in the Blues box, but Sylvain Distin produced a fine block to avert the danger. Pompey’s first decent chance arrived on 17 minutes when Marc Wilson drifted a good cross into the area, but David Nugent could only divert the ball wide. Their best opportunity of the half came on 33 minutes when Nugent latched onto Niko Kranjcar’s through ball, but the striker struck his effort straight at Basingstoke keeper Ross Kitteridge. Kranjcar then tried his luck with a shot from 20 yards which was comfortably dealt with by Kitteridge. Half Time: Basingstoke 0 Pompey 0 Downes went agonisingly close to breaking the deadlock on 55 minutes when he raced through on goal and powered a strike against the underside of the crossbar. Pompey went straight up the other end and should have scored themselves when Kranjcar received the ball in acres of space, only to drag a shot wide. The Blues made 10 changes on the hour with Hayden Mullins, Richard Hughes and Younes Kaboul among the players coming on. But it was Paris Cowan-Hall who almost opened the scoring on 74 minutes, forcing Kitteridge to make a decent save low down to his right. Then, after Basingstoke had wasted two half-chances, Danijel Subotic dragged a shot inches wide as both sides had to settle for a draw. Pompey: Begovic (Ashdown 46); Wilson (Moutaouakil 61), Audel (Kaboul 61), Distin (c) (Ward 61), Bhasera (Hurst 61); Bopp (Mullins 61), Diop (Basinas 61), M’Bami (Hughes 61); Kranjcar (Ritchie 61); Pancrate (Cowan-Hall 61), Nugent (Subotic 61) Basingstoke: Kitteridge; Rice, Christian, Dolan, Hankin; Ogunote, Williamson, Finlay, Freman; Pratt, Downes

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