Portsmouth Football Club News

Full marks for effort but still no points. That’s the story for Pompey after Manchester City condemned them to a fourth straight Premier League defeat. The warm reception the Blues got as they left the Fratton Park pitch after their 1-0 loss said this was a game they should have taken a point from. And they would have done had David Nugent been able to beat Shay Given from eight yards out instead of shooting straight at him with two minutes left. Pompey can take credit for taking it to the wire – a draw would have been a fair result on the balance of their second half dominance. But one goal from four Premier League games gives boss Paul Hart plenty to think about. With new owner Sulaiman Al Fahim - wearing a white Pompey away shirt - mingling with fans there was a buzz around Fratton Park before kick off. But City were too good for Pompey in the first 45 minutes. Their goal was simple, Emmanuel Adebayor climbing high above the Blues defence to head home Gareth Barry’s corner. City should have had a second before the break instead of having it scrubbed out for offside against Gareth Barry who was not interfering with play. Pompey could not have complained if City – beaten on three of the four previous visits to Fratton Park – had been 2-0 up at the break. But the longer they failed to add to their advantage the more Pompey believed. Attacking the Fratton end, they hassled and harried City with new signing Michael Brown putting his aggressive stamp on the game. All that was missing for the Blues was a cutting edge. Al Fahim was off his seat as Tommy Smith teased in a cross for Hayden Mullins with Shay Given stranded, only for a City defender to clear. Smith got an ovation from the home fans when he was replaced by John Utaka midway through the second half. And Utaka had Al Fahim ready to celebrate again as he cut inside onto his right foot and blistered a shot narrowly wide of the far post. It was head-in-hands time from the Fratton end, however, when Richard Hughes blazed over a superb chance from 12 yards out And worse followed when Nugent, with the net screaming to be filled, missed Pompey’s golden chance. Bolton – also without a point – are Pompey’s next opponents at Fratton Park on September 12. And it’s already looking like a six-pointer.

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