Gillingham goalkeeper Vince Bartram made a string of fine saves to earn his side a draw at Portsmouth.

The home side had the best of the chances in this dull mid-table draw at Fratton Park.

The home side should have gone ahead in the 31st minute with their only opening of the first half.

Player-manager Steve Claridge set up a chance for fellow striker Lee Bradbury but, from six yards, his tame header was pushed over the bar by Bartram.

Bartram reserved his best for the fiercest spell of Portsmouth pressure late in the second half.

Nigel Quashie tested him with a right foot shot from 20 yards but Bartram dived to his left to concede a corner.

Midfield player Shaun Derry brought another fine save from Bartram with 10 minutes remaining but Gillingham were well worth their point.

Bartram was aided by a solid defensive performance in which Adrian Pennock, Barry Ashby and Chris Hope were outstanding.

Claridge was given few opportunities to add to his 10-goal tally and Bradbury was substituted midway through the second half by 20-year-old Luke Nightingale.

Gillingham player-manager Andy Hessenthaler came on for the start of the second half in place of Mark Saunders and immediately helped Paul Smith tighten up midfield.

Gillingham had few opportunities to snatch a victory and the nearest they came to scoring was in the 25th minute when Carl Asaba fired in from fully 30 yards and surprised goalkeeper Aaron Flahavan pushed the shot away from under the bar.

Substitute Marlon King seized on a mistake by defender Scott Hiley but lost his footing and Hiley was able to recover.

Asaba was booked in the 31st minute for a foul on his marker, Darren Moore, and then failed to take advantage of another Hiley mistake by shooting wide from 10 yards.

Asaba's misery continued when he was taken off in the 76th minute to be replaced by King.

Teams:

Portsmouth Flahavan, Derry, Crowe, Moore, Hiley, Quashie, Thogersen, Miglioranzi (Rudonja 76), Bradbury (Nightingale 64), Claridge, Panopoulos (Harper 69).

Subs Not Used: Tardiff, Waterman.

Gillingham Bartram, Edge, Ashby, Saunders (Hessenthaler 47), Hope, Smith, Southall, Pennock, Lewis, Shaw (Onuora 58), Asaba (King 68).

Subs Not Used: Patterson, Butters.

Booked: Asaba.

Att: 14,526

Ref: M Brandwood (Lichfield).