City save face with last ditched equaliser
Man City 1 Portsmouth 1 [ Saturday 23 August 2003 ]
A capacity 48,000 crowd filled the new City of Manchester stadium to witness Man City's home debut against the Premiership new boys. Pompey were forced into one change after losing Hayden Foxe to a calf strain. New ex-Hammer Sebestian Schemmel was introduced for his first full debut.
The game became extremely physical earlier on with Dejan Stevanovic hobbling away after a crunching challenge on Shaun Wright-Phillips and Robbie Fowler writhing on the floor following a late tackle by Sebastian Schemmel. Surprisingly neither incident produced a free-kick, Fowler did require treatment but was able to carry on.
Berger produced a wonderful through ball which Ayegbenie Yakubu latched nicely onto, but was expertly thwarted by Sylvain Distin. Action quickly switched to Pompey's end when Antoine Sibierski was lining up to execute a volley only to be interupted by Nicolas Annelka who greadily nipped in to take possession only to create nothing in the process.
There was a shaky moment for City when Yakubu was gifted with an attempted clearance by David Seaman which bounced nicely off his stomache only to roll for a goal-kick.
City seemed to huff and puff there way through, unable to make use of two Michale Tanat corners, whilst Young Shaun Wright-Phillips who is an exceptional young talent seemed to be taking a pasting on the right flank.
The game was being played at a furious pace when Steve Stone's first touch sadly let him down as he was unable to control a high ball lofted over to him by Nigel Quashie. His low sweeping bullet like cross was deflected for Pompey's first corner of the game on 17 minutes. The kick found it's way to Teddy Sheringham who's deflected shot failed to test Seaman as it was neatly gathered.
Shaka Hislop was looking sharp and solid, though on the 20th minute he was nearly caught following a Joey Barton free-kick that caught the keeper off his line leaving him to furiously back pedal to tip the ball over the bar. Mintues later the veteran keeper was tested once more when he had to dive low to his right to deny ex-fellow West Ham colleague Trevor Sinclair. The keepers class and experience showed mintues later when a Barton header was gathered with ease. Minutes later Jihai Sun sliced his way down the left flank to launch a searing cross which temporarily left the Pompey defence at sixes and sevens.
Pompey's class showed when Yakubu neatly latched on to a poor clearance just inside the City half. The forward ran a full 30 yards before finally rounding Seaman and finishing clinically with a sweet low shot straight into the corner of the net.
City took on a air of desperation, a simple free-kick by Trevor Sinclair nearly caught Pompey on the hop, although thankfully Wright-Phillips was unable to make a satisfactory connection for it to pose any threat. Pompey did exceptionally well to thrwart all of City's efforts as they increasingly looked more and more troubled by their inability to carve their niche in a game which seemed to be increasingly falling out of their reach.
City were taking a further battering by a barrage of corners on the 38th minute, Stone then Berger further troubled the beleagued City with fast whipping crosses into the box, severly testing their veteran keeper.
As half-time neared Pompey's confidence grew, as they confidentally and expertly snuffed out any effort made by the troubled opposition in the middle of the park. Teddy Sheringham once again looked a dominering factor up front and Aiyegbeni's pace and strength predictably causing the home side's defence alot of trouble.
In the second half Paulo Wanchope came on for Fowler to partner Nicolas Anelka. The Liverpudlian never fully recovered from the incident with Schemmel earlier on in the game. Wanchope's prescence seemed to inject some substance into City's previously ailing performance.
City's best effort came on the brink of 55 mintues when a wickedly fierce dipping shot from German Michael Tarnat forced Hislop to make a searing save. The game was livening up with Wright-Phillips expertly dancing around 3 Pompey defenders only to pull his low shot wide at that last minute.
The City fans were quietened when Sheringham found Yakubu within acres of space, Distin was on his metal as he quickly blocked the through pass heading for Patrik Berger.
City bought on Eyal Berkovic for him only to have his efforts thrwarted mintues later by a crunching tackle by Amdy Faye.
Unfortunately for Pompey, City's efforts were rewarded in injury time when an Barton free kick found David Sommeill, leaving the Frenchman to expertly drill a header firmly into the back of the net to give the home side a late minute equaliser.
A fantastic effort by Pompey who were unlucky not to secure all 3 points aginst one of the most unpredictable sides in the Premiership. Portsmouth's superb effort this afternoon will only serve to further prove that this is one team who will be difficult to break down.
Man City (4-4-2)
Seaman, Tarmat, Distin, Sommeil, Jihai, Sinclair, Sibierski (Berkovic 64min), Barton, Wright-Phillips, Anelka, Fowler (Wanchope 46).
Subs (not used) Weaver, Wiekens, Tiatto.
Booked Barton, Tarnat.
Portsmouth (4-4-2)
Hislop, Zivkovic, Stefanovic, De Zeeuw, Schemmel, Berger (Harper 82), Quashie, Faye, Stone, Sheringham, Ayegbeni (Pericard 74).
Subs (not used) Wapenaar, O'Neill, Primus.
Booked Faye, Pericard, Zivkovic.