: Original text from Official Site : Translated by webmaster

	2001.12.02
	PORTSMOUTH 1 NORWICH 2. FULL TIME REPORT FROM FRATTON PARK.
	FIRST HALF Portsmouth make two changes to the team that beat Nottingham Forest 3-2, with Alessandro Zamperini making way for the experienced Carl Tiler and Vincent taking Pitt's place in a tactical move. Tiler has yet to make a start this season after struggling with injury, but could provide the solidity at the back Rix is looking for after a shaky display on Wednesday. The decision to exclude Pitt will baffle some but, as we well know with Rix, anything is possible when team selections are to be made. The game flows in the early minutes, with both teams creating good chances to pull ahead. For Pompey, Barrett breaks free in the area only to stumble over the ball, while Kawaguchi is forced to produce a fine save from Rivers on five minutes. After this even spell, Norwich begin to carve out the better chances. On fifteen minutes, Norwich take the lead with an Iwan Roberts volley. It's a confident execution to a flowing move, and Norwich deserve their lead after having the better of the early possession. Within five minutes of the opening goal, Pompey produce some fine football to create a string of chances. Bradbury has a powerful volley saved by Green while Barrett's diving header flies inches wide. But on twenty-one minutes the scores are leveled, with Harper's run and cut inside finished well by an accurate side foot into the corner of the net. After the scores are leveled, Pompey begin to have the better of the play but lack that final ball into the box. Harper's runs are Pompey's major route to goal, but Norwich are packing the left side of defence and making it difficult for the winger. A number of good chances for the Blues follows, with Crowe making a fifty yard run and Crouch blasting a shot inches wide. Portsmouth, in terms of possession, are definitely the dominant team of the half, but Norwich still look dangerous on the break. It's a game there for the taking, and with a more accurate final ball Pompey can take all three points. HALF TIME. PORTSMOUTH 1 NORWICH 1 SECOND HALF Within five minutes of the restart, the game explodes into a series of chances. Rivers hits the post with a powerful drive as the Pompey defence is caught napping, while the Blues' best early chance comes with a Bradbury blocked shot. Quashie is booked on the fifty-fifth minute for squaring up to his opposite number on the half-way line, and Pompey's forceful approach continues. Despite the early scare, Pompey begin to dominate the second half as they did the first. The midfield, for both teams, is seriously lacking in this game as the ball bounces from end to end. As opposed to the first half, Pompey use the left channel more to attack Norwich, with Vincent distributing the bal well from the back. With fifteen minutes remaining, Pompey make an attacking substitution to bring on Courtney Pitt for Vincent. The substitution almost pays off straight away as good work on both flanks results with a powerful drive from Quashie, finger-tipped round the post by Green. It's a great save by the Norwich keeper, the finest of the match. This piece of skill occurs moments after the blunder of the game, as a Jason Crowe mix-up with Kawaguchi almost results in a Darel Russell goal. Quashie misses the opportunity of the match on the eighty-fifth minute after being put-through by an excellently timed pass to beat the offside trap. Quashie's left foot drive hits the side netting when the midfielder should have really done better. Moments later, the Pompey man almost makes amends for his error with a long-range shot, but the effort is fumbled away by Green. Tiler's return to the team turns to disaster as the defender coverts a looping cross into his own net to give Norwich the advantage. With only four minutes left on the clock, Pompey desperately pursue an equaliser to snatch at least a point from the game but, despite territorial dominance, cannot find a way past Green. The Norwich keeper is in excellent form, denying the home side on a series of occasions with great reflex saves. Without Green's heroics, there is no doubt that Norwich would be going home with a single point at best. Portsmouth will feel nothing but disappointment from a game they clearly deserved points from. With a fair share of the luck or a Prosinecki inspired through-ball, this would have been the case. Nevertheless, on the whole, it was a decent Pompey performance, and this was reflected by the crowd who clapped their defeated side off the pitch. FULL TIME. PORTSMOUTH 1 NORWICH 2 Portsmouth: Kawaguchi; Crowe; Tiler; Harper; Crouch; Bradbury; Quashie; Vincent; Hiley (capt); O'Neil; Barrett. Subs: Tardif (gk); Pitt; Zamperini; Thogersen; Lovell Norwich: Green; Drury; Mackay; Mulryne; Holt; Roberts (capt); Russell; Nedergaard; McVeigh; Rivers; Fleming Subs: Crichton; Notman; Kenton; Sutch; Libbra Attendance: 13,286 (Portsmouth FC Official Site)