Pompey 1-1 Norwich City - TalkSoccer

**Huckerbys right foot** · 01-01-2005, 05:23 PM

Damien Francis put Norwich ahead despite his side having Marc Edworthy dismissed after just five minutes for a last-ditch tackle on Diomansy Kamara.

Francis could have put Norwich two up at half time, but a controversial second-half penalty decision gave Yakubu the chance to level things.

He did so despite being made to take it three times by referee Phil Dowd.

Any chance of Norwich taking anything from the game looked to have been snuffed out as early as the fifth minute when last-man Edworthy was dismissed by Dowd for a despairing lunge atKamara as he broke free over the half-way line. The Canaries were forced to pull Mattias Jonson out of the five-man midfield to right back, but took the reshuffle immediately in their stride.

Indeed, four minutes later they went ahead.

Huckerby thought he had made it 2-0 a few minutes later, but the goal was ruled out for a foul by Leon Mckenzie on Linvoy Primus, with the Portsmouth defence largely missing in action

In fact it was Norwich, despite being a man down, who looked more threatening, using the counter attack to good effect.

The frustration began to tell on Portsmouth, Andy Griffin, Yakubu and Matthew Taylor all picking up yellow cards.

The efforts of the first half took their toll, and Norwich began to wither somewhat as an attacking force on the rainswept Fratton Park pitch.

They still had a chance to snatch a win in a rousing final ten minutes, when a weak shot almost wrong-footed Shaka Hislop after a wicked deflection - but the ball smacked the post.

Instead Norwich had Green to thank for salvaging things at the end, the keeper racing off his line and standing tall to block Yakubu and getting down low to save from Gary O'Neil.

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I'd would of loved the 3 points but end of the day we played virtually the whole game with 10 men which would mean we will be weak ...but Francis great comeback shows how important he is to us sadly Yak scores and made it 1-1

still its quite alrite we played quite well and were out of relegation with many results going our way

keep this up with the performance we could survive

norwich_fi · 01-01-2005, 05:49 PM

good to see francis coming straight back in and scoring again. good to see most of the other results went our way too, and the scum lost ::hahaha::

canarymatt256 · 01-01-2005, 06:47 PM

Francis is a legend!! that mans gonna be the one to keep us up if ne! still, very encouraging performance, its the games like this tht help keep u up methinx.

norwich_fi · 01-01-2005, 06:53 PM

yep, i'm actually feeling quite confident about the game on monday, although we'll probably get thrashed!

mr.watford · 01-01-2005, 07:03 PM

who you got monday

norwich_fi · 01-01-2005, 07:03 PM

liverpool at home. easy!

mr.watford · 01-01-2005, 07:16 PM

beat them please

would set us up nicely for our european tour

norwich_fi · 01-01-2005, 07:20 PM

when's that game?

mr.watford · 02-01-2005, 09:39 AM

Anfield - 11th Jan
The Vic - 25th Jan

Cant wait ::talksocc

norwich_fi · 02-01-2005, 12:42 PM

are you going? good luck anyway, watford had a good run in the fa cup a couple of seasons ago as well didn't they? semis i think?

mr.watford · 02-01-2005, 04:42 PM

Course I'm going, bloody long queue to get tickets tho

Yeah we got to the FA cup semis in 2003. Remember me telling you I'd walk to Cardiff if we got to the final after the 4th round?

canarymatt256 · 02-01-2005, 06:21 PM

wont watford get in the cup neways? cos the chances r pretty gd tht lpool, utd and chelski will all be in europe neways id think.

neways, im nt looking 4wd to lpool after last tym, but will be nice to be at home.

Worthy_is_King · 02-01-2005, 07:32 PM

to be honest I think this was a huge point.

no one expected much from the game we're down to the bare bones, and then played the whole match with 10 men. I'm a tad dissapointed, leon didnt handball it, yakubu should have been off and hucks had a perfectly good goal dissalowed, but on the balance of play pompey deserved the point,

I just think u cant criticise the players after that, Jonson playing at right back and dping superbly well, Bentley giving 200% sprinting for every ball.

the whole team just fought for everything - talk about spirit Mr Woolnough - and if pompey had got the winner the confidance would have been shot...by holding on i think it was a gerat lift

canarymatt256 · 02-01-2005, 07:47 PM

cdnt have put it beter meself m8!! plus u 4got the fact pompey r quite awesome at home, beat man utd didnt they?

mr.watford · 03-01-2005, 11:30 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by canarymatt256
wont watford get in the cup neways? cos the chances r pretty gd tht lpool, utd and chelski will all be in europe neways id think.

na we have to win it

which should be no problem...