Pompey manager given the red card at Wolves
Wolves 0 Portsmouth 0 [ Saturday 30 August 2003 ]
Harry Redknapp was banished from the touchline and sent up to the stands after the Pompey manager told the fourth official exactly what he thought of Referee Andy D'Urso's performance after the Billericay offcial decided to flash the yellow card no less than 8 times during the game. The scene was reminiscent to that of Alex Ferguson at St James Park last Saturday.
Redknapp revealed: 'I told him what I thought of the referee's performance - and he decided to tell the referee what I said.'
Wolves obviously bouyed by their performance mid week at Old Trafford strung together a succession of fluid passes in the first half. After a series of sweeping moves Steve Stone saw his shot neatly parried away by Michael Oakes before Teddy Sheringham's shot wet just the wrong side of the post.
The Wolves very own Senegalise international Henry Camara, guilty of wasting some sitters at Old Trafford mid week failed miserably once more after a probing pass from Denis Irwin caught the forward in space, the striker was in a one-on-one with Pompey keeper Shaka Hislop but thankfully missed the target. A theatrical overhead bicycle kick faired little better, with Blake blocking the shot.
But Wolves who gained promotion last season along with Pompey were definetly in the ascendancy and Shaka Hislop had to franticaly scramble the ball clear from Jody Craddock and veteran midfielder Paul Ince.
Boris Zivkovic heroically ran the complete the length of the field untracked only to see his header via a Steve Stone cross intercepted by Patrik Berger whos shot went wide.
Wolves started brightly at the beginning of the second half, surely a relief for fans who saw their team severly spanked by an on form Charlton during the opening game of the season at Molineax. The home side did however manage to get the ball in the back of the net only via Camara only to have the effort ruled out after Nathan Blake was ruled offside.
Just afterwards Pompey should have taken the lead. Yakubu rushed past Irwin and Oakes and spilled his shot into the path of Sheringham. But the angle was too acute and Paul Butler managed to scramble the ball off the line.
Wolves (4-4-2)
Oakes, Irwin, Craddock, Butler, Naylor, Newton, Rae (Gudjonsson 80), Ince, Cameron, Camara, Blake.
Subs (not used) Murray, Iversen, Silas, Okoronkwo.
Booked Butler, Rae, Ince.
Portsmouth (4-4-2)
Hislop, Schemmel, De Zeeuw, Stefanovic, Zivkovic, Stone (Smertin 68), Faye, Quashie, Berger, Yakubu (Pericard 85), Sheringham.
Subs (not used) Wapenaar, Primus, Harper.
Booked Quashie, Stone, Schemmel, Zivkovic, Ayegbini.