Redknapp gives Keown hint
Norwich City 2 Portsmouth
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Your support makes all the difference.Portsmouth may renew their interest in Martin Keown to solve their defensive crisis but Norwich City's problems run a little deeper.
Harry Redknapp, the Portsmouth manager, confirmed after this enthralling draw that Marcel Desailly had definitely rebuffed his approaches and that he may now turn to another veteran, Keown.
Portsmouth tried to sign the 38-year-old defender in the summer after he was released by Arsenal but the chairman, Milan Mandaric, was not keen because of his age and Keown joined Leicester City instead.
However, the defender was released by Micky Adams last week and Redknapp said: "Martin Keown is out of contract now so I don't know what the rules are." If he could get him, he intimated, he would. "I need somebody if the other two [Dejan Stefanovic and Arjen De Zeeuw] are going to be out long-term."
It was Portsmouth's defensive frailties that allowed Norwich back into the match and they were left hanging on at the end. Norwich will draw much from their ability to twice come from behind and then to almost gain their first win. However, they remain rooted in the bottom three.
"We could have won this game, but we could have lost it too," Norwich's manager Nigel Worthington admitted. "But if we keep playing like that and creating chances like that then hopefully it will turn for us."
Norwich's hopes lie in midfielder David Bentley and Darren Huckerby. Unfortunately for Norwich both were at the top of their game against the sort of side they need to beat at home to stay up - and they still did not win. That's the truth Worthington faces this morning.
Portsmouth took the lead through an error by the Norwich goalkeeper, Robert Green. Nigel Quashie's shot was powerful but Green pushed it to Aiyegbeni Yakubu who beat two defenders before scoring. The rest of the first hour was about cataloguing the misses of Leon McKenzie - making his debut for Norwich - and Portsmouth's Diomansy Kamara, also a debutant. Each could have had a hat-trick.
Instead it was Matthew Taylor's clumsy challenge on Huckerby which allowed Norwich back in. The penalty was saved but Huckerby tucked in the rebound. Patrik Berger then thumped in a free-kick from more than 25 yards before Simon Charlton completed the scoring with a header. Three strikes in four minutes - and the 33-year-old's first goal for nine years.
Goals Yakubu (37) 0-1; Huckerby (63) 1-1; Berger (65) 1-2; Charlton (67) 2-2.
Norwich City (4-4-2): Green; Edworthy, Charlton, Fleming, Drury; Jonson (McVeigh, 72), Holt, Francis, Bentley; Huckerby, McKenzie (Svensson, 79). Substitutes not used Ward (gk), Doherty, Helveg.
Portsmouth (4-4-2): Hislop; Griffin, Primus, Unsworth, Taylor; Cisse (LuaLua, 69), Faye (Hughes 78), Quashie, Berger; Kamara (Fuller 60), Yakubu. Substitutes not used Ashdown (gk), Mezague.
Referee M Messias (S Yorkshire).
Booked: Norwich Jonson. Portsmouth Griffin, Taylor, Faye.
Man of the Match Berger.
Attendance 23,853.
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