Pompey miss chance to pull clear of drop zone

Portsmouth needed a spectacular free-kick strike from Niko Kranjcar to salvage a 2-2 draw and a point against bottom side West Brom as the south coast club blew a chance to pull further clear of the drop zone on Saturday.

Pompey had looked in control after dominating the first half and claiming a deserved lead through Younes Kaboul’s brilliant opener.

But the visitors turned things around with strikes from Jonathan Greening and Chris Brunt, leaving the home side grateful for Kranjcar’s accuracy from 25 yards.

Portsmouth dominated the opening exchanges but it was the visitors who carved out the first real chances with David James forced to produce competent stops to keep out shots from Robert Koren and James Morrison in quick succession.

But the home side soon began to assert themselves and Kranjcar had seen a 27th-minute shot come back off the post and directed Jermaine Pennant’s cross wide of the target by the time Kaboul put them ahead in the 33rd minute.

Fed by Pennant, the defender went round Jonathan Greening before firing an unstoppable shot into the top corner.

The Baggies responded with a spirit that defied their lowly position in the league with Chris Brunt immediately unleashing a shot that was only inches wide of the target.

Gianni Zuiverloon’s run then looked like opening up the home side but James made a crucial intervention at full stretch to snuff out the danger.

West Brom’s pressure yielded an equaliser two minutes into the second half.

Brunt’s deflected shot and a follow-up effort by Morrison were both kept out by James but Greening made no mistake with a third opportunity after the goalkeeper had palmed the ball into his path.

Greening was instrumental in the second goal for the Baggies, winning a free kick five yards outside the area which Brunt sent into the bottom corner with the help of a deflection.

West Brom’s travelling support responded in frenzied fashion but the lead only lasted three minutes before Kranjcar’s wonder strike left Scott Carson with no chance of preventing the equaliser.

It was the visitors who had the best chance of snatching all three points, with Greening heading a corner over with three minutes left.