Middlesbrough surrendered the First Division's top spot by claiming only a
draw against relegation-threatened Portsmouth - but the result could have been
worse.
Middlesbrough goalkeeper Marlon Beresford had to make a penalty save from Alan
McLoughlin in first half injury time to deny Portsmouth what would have been a
winner.
Beresford had been the culprit moments earlier when he brought down Portsmouth
striker John Aloisi, even though the Australian international was running away
from the goal at the time.
Beresford atoned for his mistake by diving to his left to make a comfortable
save from McLoughlin's spotkick.
Pompey enjoyed a season's best crowd of 17,003 roaring them on and
Middlesbrough were in trouble early, as Aloisi and Matthias Svensson shot wide
from good positions.
Andy Townsend bent a freekick narrowly over the bar but it was not until the
second half that Middlesbrough began to play like a side with Premiership
ambitions.
Alun Armstrong snapped up a weak back header from Portsmouth captain Adrian
Whitbread but prodded his shot wide in the 47th minute.
Then Paul Merson, who had been influential in most of Middlesbrough's best
moves, saw his shot beat Aaron Flahavan only to see his goal-bound shot cleared
off the line by Whitbread.
Beresford did well to keep out a low shot from substitute Paul Hall and in the
last minute clutched a dangerous shot from Matthew Robinson as Middlesbrough
clung on for a draw.
Portsmouth had Andy Awford booked for a foul on Townsend in the fifth minute
as both sides upped the tempo with so much at stake.
Beresford received his yellow card for the foul leading to the penalty and
Michael Thomas was also cautioned for a foul in the second half.
Pompey manager Alan Ball sent on Hall in place of Svensson and then late in
the match, made two more changes which saw the introduction of Martin Allen and
John Durnin.
Bryan Robson's men, who put six past Swindon in midweek, found Portsmouth much
tougher proposition.
Teams:
Portsmouth: Flahavan, Pethick, Robinson, McLoughlin (Allen 82),
Whitbread, Awford, Vlachos, Svensson (Hall 60),
Aloisi (Durnin 82), Hillier, Thomson.
Booked: Awford.
Middlesbrough: Beresford, Kinder, Harrison, Vickers, Festa,
Maddison, Armstrong, Townsend, Branca, Merson, Thomas.
Subs Not Used: Fleming, Beck, Hignett.
Booked: Beresford, Thomas.
Att: 17,003
Ref: K M Lynch (Knaresborough).
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