Match Report

Newcastle v Portsmouth 11 December 2004

Newcastle held by Pompey

Newcastle 1 - 1 Portsmouth

Managerless Portsmouth will be delighted after a deflected Steve Stone strike earned them a 1-1 stalemate at Newcastle. The majority in St James' Park were left frustrated after the home side failed to build on a third minute lead, which came courtesy of Lee Bowyer's sumptuous strike.

With Portsmouth's week again engulfed by a departure, this time Kevin Bond's to Southampton, Newcastle smelt a club in transition and ripe for the picking.

Agressive and positive in amble measures, Graeme Souness' inconsistent charges poured forward in waves of black and white and were duly rewarded in only the third minute.

Young full back Steve Taylor picked up a loose Portsmouth pass in his own half and charged towards the visitors' goal. His short pass found Bowyer and the resurgent midfielder, who seems to have rediscovered his appetite in recent weeks, unleashed a majestic rising drive past the despairing dive of Jamie Ashdown from 18 yards.

For the next half hour, Newcastle were entirely dominant in possession but much like a lot of their games under Souness' tenure, the final pass was never quite there as they hinted at being a good side but never really delivered.

Perhaps if they could have called upon the power of Alan Shearer or the subtle guile of Patrick Kluivert, a lifeless Portsmouth would have been mere cannon fodder.

However, both were sidelined through injury and all Newcastle had to show for complete dominance was Bowyer's strike and a glaring miss from Kieron Dyer that was made for Christmas blooper videos.

Bellamy's run from the halfway line drew Linvoy Primus across and after the pacey Welshman fed in his free team-mate, St James' Park braced itself for a second goal. Dyer had other ideas and, living up to his name, scooped the ball hurriedly over.

Ashdown was then nearly embarrassed when he slipped to allow Andy Griffin's backpass to roll agonisingly past his near post, before Stone registered in what was Portsmouth's first foray of the game.

After Patrik Berger's corner found the head of Dejan Stefanovic the big stopper headed goalwards but Bowyer was on hand to clear the ball off Given's line.

Newcastle will rue not clearing sufficiently, for when the ball was played back to Stone, the former England man saw his drive from the edge of the box deflect off Taylor to leave Given flat-footed and Portsmouth level.

The game then slumped. Characterised by sloppy distribution, chances were at a premium and save for James Milner's excellent volley which pulled wide, there was little of note as the contest was played in an ugly midfield minefield.

With the half reaching its climax, Stefanovic was perhaps lucky that referee, Mike Riley, adjudged his challenge on Bellamy to be clumsy - when in fact it was more cunning.

Newcastle began the second period the more adventurous and predictably, the game settled in a rhythm of Portsmouth soaking up pressure and breaking on the counter.

Indeed, the managerless South Coast outfit were much improved and those that made the long trip north will perhaps feel they could have converted one point into three with brighter finishing.

For Newcastle, Laurent Robert was summoned from the bench and his first touch was a trademark left foot hammer, that forced Ashdown to claw behind for a corner.

The frustrating Shola Ameobi was left to look pleadingly at the referee after being felled by Stefanovic, but Riley failed to concur and the chance was lost.

At this stage, as in the first period, Newcastle suggested they were ready to turn their performance up a level but it was Portsmouth who then conjured the better chances.

Greater vision from a willing Ricardo Fuller would have played in an unmarked Amdy Faye and then Gary O'Neil will feel he should have dispatched, when he ghosted into the Newcastle box but headed narrowly wide.

Ameobi poked the last opportunity of the game wide after a bright interchange with Robert but Souness will be left perplexed by a strange game that Newcastle only ever really hinted at winning.

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