Another point and another clean sheet for Pompey but it could have been so much more. Tony Mowbray and his young Boro charges will have been much happier with this result than Steve Cotterill and his team.
Cotterill named an unchanged starting line-up for the third match in a row. One positive piece of team news was the return to the bench of Liam Lawrence who had missed recent games with a niggly calf injury. The bench had a full complement of seven.
Pompey should have secured victory in this match during the first half, the fact that they didn't was down to two key factors. Firstly, their inability to put away clearcut chances. Secondly, the reluctance, rightly or wrongly, of the match officials to make 'positive decisions'.
The two best chances of the game fell to Pompey in the first half hour of the match.
The first was created by Jonathan Hogg from the left hand side after he chased down a loose ball following a corner. He nutmegged the Boro defender who'd tracked him, and sent in a perfect cross for Hermann Hreidarsson to unleash a powerful header. The ball rattled the cross-bar but unfortunately for Pompey nobody was able to follow it up.
The second was created by David Nugent a few minutes later who received a pass from Hogg and passed the ball to Dave Kitson. Kitson's shot was powerfully struck but it was too central and the Boro defender - Luke Williams - positioned on the goal line was able to keep it out. If the shot had been placed either side of him it would have been a goal.
Such is football. If both or one of those two chances had hit the back of the net it would have been a very different story, of course.
As it was they were the two main Pompey action highlights of the game. The only other shot on goal of any note came deep in to the second half from substitute Liam Lawrence, from distance which was easily saved by the Boro 'keeper.
Pompey had two shouts for penalty kicks in the first half, neither of which was given. The first was a potential handball - the ball hitting Williams on the hand from a Joel Ward shot. The second when a Boro defender - Seb Hines - hauled Nugent back with a strong arm on the left shoulder.
To be fair to the officials the first would have been a harsh decision and the second may have been just outside of the penalty box. But on another day...
All in all it was a frustrating afternoon for Pompey and their fans in a good sized Fratton Park crowd bolstered by a good turnout from the North East.
Tony Mowbray brought his team to Fratton Park with a defensive approach and it worked a treat. It wasn't pretty to watch but it was effective and it got a result. If the tables had been turned Pompey fans would have been applauding the performance. It was Paul Hartesque in nature and as Pompey fans well know there's nothing wrong with that when your back is against the wall.
Following this result Pompey dropped in to the lower half of the Championship table. They are in 13th position on 51 points closer to the Play-Off places than the Relegation Zone but probably permanently suspended in mid-table anonymity now for the remainder of the season. Perhaps an opportunity to give Tom Kilby and Nadir Ciftci some game time? Maybe not immediately but something for Cotterill to consider as he looks to freshen up the team in the final few games. Time will tell.
FT Portsmouth 0-0 Middlesbrough
Attendance: 16,447
MOTM: Ricardo Rocha received the official award and there can be no argument about that. It was another solid defensive display by the Portugeuse player who always seems to have a little bit more time on the ball than other defenders. His timing of headers and tackles is a joy to watch at times.
Portsmouth versus Middlebrough: Jamie Ashdown, Ritchie De Laet, Greg Halford, Ricardo Rocha, Hermann Hreidarsson, Jonathan Hogg, Hayden Mullins, David Cotterill, Joel Ward, David Nugent, Dave Kitson. Substitutes: Daryll Flahavan, Aaron Mokoena, Carl Dickinson, Kanu, Liam Lawrence, Tom Kilbey, Nadir Ciftci
Next up: Pompey's next match is on Saturday March 19th at 3PM versus Leicester City (A).
BlueThruAndThru
