Palace Extend Unbeaten Run

Crystal Palace extended their unbeaten run in all competitions to eight matches after being held to a goalless draw by Portsmouth at Selhurst Park.The result left Portsmouth still looking for their first away victory in the npower Championship this season and they shaded a game of few chances.Portsmouth defender Ricardo Rocha did well to block a shot from Nathaniel Clyne before the visitors took control and Jason Pearce hit the crossbar with a header.Neither side took control at the start of the second half but Portsmouth had a half-chance when Joel Ward mis-hit a cross which Speroni had to claw away and Palace cleared away the resulting corner.Liam Lawrence saw a free-kick deflected just over before Luke Varney got away down the right and Speroni came rushing off his line but the Pompey frontman failed to get the lift on his shot with the goal gaping.An evening of frustration got worse for Lawrence when he hobbled off late on to be replaced by Erik Huseklepp and Palace pushed forward winning a succession of corners. However they could not make the breakthrough and had to settle for a point and a sixth consecutive clean sheet.

Match Report: Portsmouth 1 Cardiff City 1

Kanu came off the bench to rescue a deserved point for Pompey against Cardiff.After a poor first half the Blues came alive and Greg Halford struck the post, before both the defender and Benjani had efforts cleared off the line.It looked like it was not going to be Pompey’s day when Andrew Taylor fired the Welsh visitors ahead with a neat finish.But Kanu met Tal Ben Haim’s cross 10 minutes from time to earn the draw that the Blues’ second-half display warranted.Steve Cotterill made two changes from the side that drew at Bristol City last week.Erik Huseklepp made his first start alongside Dave Kitson up front, while Joel Ward came in at right-back. Kanu and Aaron Mokoena dropped to the bench.Pompey’s new look strike partnership were lively in the early stages, although David Marshall remained untested in the Cardiff goal.But the Blues could have found themselves behind on 15 minutes when Darcy Blake turned in the box and fired a shot towards the top corner. Fortunately for the hosts, however, Jamie Ashdown managed to palm the ball onto the post.

At the other end, Pompey were still no closer to breaking the deadlock with Hayden Mullins volleying over from 30 yards.But the defence were doing their jobs and Jason Pearce continued his impressive start to his Blues career with a good tackle to dispossess Robert Earnshaw in the box.Cardiff were looking more dangerous as the half progressed, but Pompey almost took the lead with a fluke goal on 22 minutes.

Ward sent a cross into the box from wide on the right but the ball drifted, catching out Marshall and dipping onto the bar.However, it was still the visitors who were looking more likely to score and Ashdown was forced to come tearing off his line to deny Earnshaw.Luke Varney was not too far away for Pompey, turning and curling a shot narrowly over from just inside the box.But the Blues probably went in at the break happy to still be level after a disjointed first-half display.

Cotterill made a tactical switch at the start of the second half with Varney joining Kitson up front and Huseklepp going out to the left.And the Blues were inches away from opening the scoring on 49 minutes when Hayden Mullins was fouled 30 yards from goal.Lawrence laid the free-kick off to Halford, who launched a vicious strike that cannoned back off the post.The Fratton faithful were in no doubt about who they thought could make the difference, singing for Benjani as the Zimbabwean warmed up on the touchline. And Cotterill obliged on 61 minutes, bringing him on to replace Huseklepp.

Pompey were certainly looking brighter than before the break and were putting plenty of pressure on the Bluebirds back-line.Earnshaw was forced to clear Halford’s header off the line on 63 minutes. The ball came back into the box and after a mighty melee, some Blues players thought it had crossed the line – the referee, however, did not agree.Peter Whittingham then came to Cardiff’s rescue, somehow managing to clear Benjani’s close-range effort off the line.It looked to be only a matter of time until Pompey scored, but instead it was the visitors celebrating a goal on 71 minutes.Taylor burst forward from left-back, latched onto Craig Conway’s pass and drilled a low shot into the bottom corner.

Ashdown then stopped the Blues from falling further behind by tearing off his line to block Earnshaw’s shot.

Cotterill brought on Kanu in place of Varney for the final 13 minutes as he tried to find a way back into the match for Pompey.

And it proved to be an inspired substitution as – three minutes later – Ben Haim swung a cross into the box and Kanu stooped to head home.

It could have got even better for the Blues in stoppage time, but Kitson twice had shots blocked in the box.

Pompey move to strengthen weak squad

Portsmouth are on the verge of adding to their thin squad with the signing of Norwegian international winger Erik Huseklepp.Huseklepp, 26, is set to sign a three-and-a-half year deal at Fratton park in a deal that will cost the club an estimated £1.5 million.The player spent last season in the Italian Serie A with Bari, where he made 14 appearences, scoring two times in the process.The move will provide Pompey fans with more reason for optimism, with boss Steve Cotterill appearing to be backed by the new owners in spending money on the squad.
"All is not yet set but the clubs have agreed (a transfer) and I will make it over to England for a medical test within a short while," The winger told Bergens Tidende.
Speaking of his new club, Huseklepp added: "The club is in a rebuilding phase and that is something I want to be part of. In the long run the club wants to get back to the Premier League and that is of course exciting."

Match Report: Portsmouth 1 Reading 0

Dave Kitson’s close-range strike was the difference as Pompey chalked up their first win of the new Championship season with a 1-0 success over Reading.The former Reading striker netted against his old club as he struck a smart low volley home from Liam Lawrence’s corner early in the second half of a cracking game at Fratton Park.The Blues had the better of the first half as Greg Halford rattled the bar with a shot from the edge of the box that, while Kitson and David Norris both missed glaring opportunities.But Reading had their moments as well as Jimmy Kebe’s diving header clattered the outside of Jamie Ashdown’s goal.
In an entertaining contest, Pompey again looked threatening after the break and got their reward when Kitson found himself unmarked in the box to fire home.And the return of Benjani as a 75th-minute substitute so nearly created the killer second goal as his cross found Luke Varney, only for the forward’s shot to clip the outside of the post.

But Pompey played out time without too much fuss as the clock ticked down with Jason Pearce outstanding in central defence on his debut to hang on to a vital three points to kick-start their campaign.

Portsmouth Dumped Out By Barnet

League two side Barnet pulled off one of the upsets of the night to snatch a 1-0 win at Fratton Park and dump Steve Cotterill’s side out of the competition.Lawrie Sanchez’s side only preserved their Football League status on the final day of the last campaign.But they were good value for the win as Sanchez grabbed the bragging rights over his old Wimbledon pal Cotterill.Bees captain Mark Hughes got the only goal of the game after 30 minutes after debut-making keeper Stephen Henderson had spilled a corner.The ball was worked out to the excellent Mark Marshall and Hughes was there to head home his cross.Izale McLeod had two one on ones saved and Clovis Kamdjo had a first-half header disallowed as the visitors ran the Blues ragged.It was much the same after the break with Pompey failing to find any rhythm.Greg Halford had a header from a corner midway through the half saved by Dean Brill.Sub Charlie Taylor later had two good chances to add a second, though, with Barnet deserving victors and Pompey left to lick their wounds.

Match Report:Middlesbrough 2 - 2 Portsmouth

Debutant Luke Varney grabbed an injury-time equaliser to deny Middlesbrough.Varney struck two minutes into added time to salvage a point after substitute Christian Dailly's initial effort had been blocked.Boro led when Marvin Emnes fired in after good work from Scott McDonald but Pompey levelled after the break through a low 20-yard David Norris shot.Rhys Williams restored the home side's lead with a cool finish but Varney denied them victory on 92 minutes.Summer signing Varney's strike was cruel on a Boro side who created the better chances in the teeming rain but ultimately paid the price for some wasteful finishing.Barry Robson twice went close for Boro before Emnes, who this week signed a new three-year contract, showed great composure to put them ahead when he turned neatly and fired home McDonald's clever cut-back.
Emnes then shot just wide while McDonald, Justin Hoyte and Robson also spurned decent openings.
Pompey did threaten through Hayden Mullins just before the break but his shot sailed over the bar.However, they drew level after the interval when Norris beat Carl Ikeme with a powerful low shot from 20 yards.

Boro hit back when Williams collected a glorious through-ball from Nicky Bailey and finished coolly.

The goal once again led to a spell of home pressure, but the hosts failed to extend their lead and summer signing Varney made them pay.

The draw means Boro have now only won one of their last 11 opening league fixtures - a 2-1 home triumph over Tottenham in August 2008 - while Portsmouth avoided a fourth successive opening-day defeat.