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West Bromwich Albion 1-1 Portsmouth
Match Reports, 17:06, December 7, 2008 ,
Peter Crouch earned Portsmouth a point at bottom-of-the-table West Brom, cancelling out Jonathan Greening's first-half opener.
Crouch struck just before the hour mark to hand Tony Adams' side a point after a one-sided first half had seen the Baggies deservedly go in ahead.
Tony Mowbray's side pressed the ball early in the opening stages and Greening began to pull the strings in the midfield. The best chance of the opening stages fell to Chris Brunt in the 25th minute, after a passage of sumptuous one-touch football from Greening, Ishmael Miller and James Morrison, the latter slipped the Baggies winger behind the Portsmouth backline but he could only slide his effort the wrong side of the post.
It came as no great surprise when West Brom did take the lead through Greening in the 39th minute, though, as the former Manchester United and Middlesbrough midfielder followed up after Brunt's free-kick cannoned out off the crossbar.
Portsmouth improved dramatically after the break after a dismal first-half showing and it took them just 13 minutes to find an equaliser as Crouch's rasping effort from 30 yards flashed into the net off the underside of the bar.
However, the Baggies came back again as Adams' side slipped off the gas and former Manchester City striker Miller wasted a glorious opportunity on 70 minutes as he fired wide from 10 yards after good work from Morrison again.
As the game became stretched, Glen Johnson began to become a nuisance to Paul Robinson and the England defender was unlucky not to be awarded a winning goal for Portsmouth. The right-back looped a cross into the box and Scott Carson fumbled it in the goalmouth and initial replays appeared to suggest that the ball crossed the line before the Baggies goalkeeper grabbed it at the second attempt.
There will be further concerns for Mowbray after Miller was stretchered from the field in the closing stages following a heavy collision with David James.
Albion stay bottom - a point behind Blackburn - despite the draw, while Pompey's point leaves them firmly in contention for a European place.