First Division champions Fulham were saved by a controversial penalty 13
minutes form the end at Fratton Park.
Fulham had played exhibition football, putting together 20 and 30 passes at a
time, but were struggling to equalise an early Portsmouth goal from Lee
Bradbury.
With time running out, it appeared that Luis Boa-Morte was impeded by the
combination of full-back Jamie Vincent and goalkeeper Andy Petterson.
Leading scorer Louis Saha, who had endured a quiet afternoon, stepped up to
smash home the spot-kick to extend Fulham's unbeaten run to 10 matches.
Relegation-threatened Portsmouth were content to soak up plenty of Fulham
pressure and rely on breaks, and the tactic paid off after only 10 minutes.
Lee Mills had a fierce shot blocked by goalkeeper Maik Taylor and the rebound
fell in the path of Bradbury who scored his ninth of the season.
Robert Wolleaston should have added another in the 13th minute but his tame
header from 12 yards went straight at Taylor.<
Only then did Fulham begin to show championship class and it needed an
outstanding save from Petterson, playing his first match in 15 months for
Portsmouth, to prevent Boa-Morte equalising in the 18th minute.
In a rare moment of incisive Fulham play, Lee Clark got down the right and
Petterson sprawled across his line to prevent Boa-Morte flicking home his 21st
of the season.
Fulham's only other chance of a first half they completely dominated fell to
midfield player Sean Davis who spotted Petterson on the wrong side of his goal
at a free-kick and saw his effort go just wide with the keeper a bystander.
Fulham lost expensive newcomer Alain Goma, who fell heavily into a moat
surrounding the pitch just before half-time under a challenge by Bradbury.
Former Portsmouth defender Kit Symons replaced him and the second half
continued like the first, with Fulham in control but being denied by a five-man
Portsmouth defence.
Rufus Brevett spared Fulham's blushes in the 57th minute when he cleared off
the line from Bradbury.
But Fulham only stepped up a pace in the 66th minute when veteran German
striker Karlheinz Riedle came on as a substitute.
Riedle brought much-needed urgency to the Fulham attack and was involved in
the incident leading up to the penalty award by referee Peter Dowd.
Portsmouth defender Carl Tiler was booked for dissent as the protests mounted
but the referee did not change his mind and Saha scored his 30th goal of the
season.
There was almost a late winner for Fulham when Welsh defender Andy Melville
had a shot blocked on the line by Petterson.
Teams
Portsmouth: Petterson, Vincent, Primus, Hiley, Waterman, O'Neil, Sharpe, Tiler, Mills (Vine 81), Bradbury, Wolleaston (Quashie 63).
Subs Not Used: Tardif, White, Harper.
Booked: Waterman, Tiler, O'Neil.
Goals: Bradbury 10.
Fulham: Taylor, Melville, Goma (Symons 45), Brevett, Finnan, Clark, John Collins, Goldbaek (Riedle 67), Davis, Saha, Boa Morte (Betsy 82).
Subs Not Used: Hahnemann, Stolcers.
Booked: Davis, Brevett, Boa Morte.
Goals: Saha 79 pen.
Att: 17,651.
Ref: P Dowd (Stoke-on-Trent).
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