Late own goal inches Hull closer to top four

An 89th-minute own goal from Portsmouth defender Noe Pamarot earned Hull City a 2-2 draw at Fratton Park on Saturday after they had twice fallen behind.

Glen Johnson's superb volley had looked set to give Portsmouth all three points, but Pamarot's unfortunate intervention earned the Tigers a share of the spoils.

The draw keeps Hull sixth in the Premier League table and moves them to within a point of fourth-placed Arsenal after Arsene Wenger's men went down 3-0 at Manchester City.

The home side flew out of the blocks, with Hull goalkeeper Boaz Myhill having to push a Papa Bouba Diop header onto the crossbar inside the first three minutes.

And after 20 minutes the ball was in the back of the visitors' net when a shot from John Utaka was deflected into the path of Younes Kaboul and his cross was nodded home from close range by England striker Peter Crouch.

Diop was then guilty of a bad miss, sidefooting wide from six yards after being teed up by a Crouch knockdown.

Brazilian forward Geovanni has been Hull's talisman this season, and he nearly drew his side level on the stroke of half-time with a swerving effort that crashed against the crossbar.

But eight minutes into the second period the visitors did draw level, with defender Michael Turner planting a header past David James after Kamil Zayette had flicked on a corner.

James was then forced into a fine save to deny Hull midfielder Dean Marney, before Johnson produced a goal of the season contender to nudge Tony Adams's side into the lead again.

The right-back cushioned a headed clearance on his chest before unleashing a blistering shot into the top corner of Myhill's goal.

Utaka was off target from four yards as Portsmouth sought to extend their lead, but the visitors made them pay for their profligacy when Pamarot touched the ball over his own line under pressure from Hull substitute Dean Windass.