MATCH STATS

NORWICH CITY Green, Edworthy, Charlton, Fleming, Drury, Jonson, Holt, Francis, Bentley, Huckerby, McKenzie. Subs: Ward, McVeigh (for Jonson, 72), Doherty, Helveg, Svensson (for McKenzie, 79).

PORTSMOUTH Hislop, Griffin, Primus, Unsworth, Taylor, Cisse, Faye, Quashie, Berger, Kamara, Yakubu. Subs: Ashdown, Fuller (for Kamara, 60), LuaLua (for Cisse, 69), Hughes (for Faye, 78), Mezague.

SCORERS: Norwich: Huckerby (63), Charlton (67). Portsmouth: Yakubu (37), Berger (65).

TOP CANARY: Darren Huckerby

ATTENDANCE: 23,853

REFEREE: Matt Messias (S Yorkshire)

YELLOW CARDS: Norwich: Mattias Jonson (68). Portsmouth: Andy Griffin (45), Matthew Taylor (61), Amdy Faye (71).

RED CARDS: None

SHOTS ON TARGET: Norwich 6, Portsmouth 4

SHOTS OFF TARGET: Norwich 11, Portsmouth 7

CORNERS: Norwich 8, Portsmouth 2

FOULS:  Norwich 18, Portsmouth 12

OFFSIDE:  Norwich 1, Portsmouth 1

Saturday October 2, 2004
RICK WAGHORN

Norwich’s quest for their first Premiership win will now take them to the home of fellow new boys West Bromwich Albion in a fortnight’s time after this afternoon’s Carrow Road thrilling clash with Portsmouth ended in a 2-2 draw.

On the one hand, many may be disappointed that those precious three points continue to elude Nigel Worthington’s men. On the other, however, City are showing the spirit, effort and commitment in abundance – particularly given that they twice had to come from behind to earn today’s point.

A goal adrift at the break, after Yakubu’s first half strike, Darren Huckerby levelled after Shaka Hislop had initially saved the City striker’s penalty.

A Patrik Berger special two minutes later had Norwich back on their heels again, only for Simon Charlton’s first goal for his new club two minutes later to put Norwich back within sight of that elusive first victory.

It almost came. When not only youngster David Bentley’s strike hit the woodwork before the break, Canary midfielder Gary Holt would see a stunning second half drive shudder the Portsmouth bar, then a famous 3-2 success looked firmly on the cards.

Before the match Nigel Worthington stayed true to his word that the diamond wouldn’t last forever and switched back to a flat midfield four as the Canaries entertained Portsmouth in their ongoing quest for top flight success.

All of which found the luckless Youssef Safri disappearing without trace following last Saturday’s 3-0 mauling at Liverpool with Swedish winger Mattias Jonson returning to make his first start since the home clash with Arsenal.

With on-loan Gunners youngster David Bentley also recalled to Worthington’s starting line-up, the Canary midfield had a fresh and attacking look to it as they sought to add to Portsmouth’s recent awayday misery.

The biggest cheer, however, was reserved for Leon McKenzie, as the former Posh hitman was finally drafted his for his first start of the new season in place of centre half-cum-centre forward Gary Doherty.

For the visitors, stung by last Sunday's 1-0 home defeat by Everton, boss Harry Redknapp again made changes with Portsmouth’s record signing Diomansy Kamara – signed for £2.3 million from Italian club Modena in the summer replacing Ricardo Fuller up front, while in midfield there was no room for former Manchester City playmaker Eyal Berkovic with the African Aliou Cisse coming in instead.

The biggest loss, however, as far as the travelling Portsmouth fans were concerned, was that of Serbian centre half Dejan Stefanovic who missed today’s trip to Norfolk through injury.

Darren Huckerby battles with one-time City target Linvoy Primus.

David Unsworth found himself switching inside to partner summer Canary target Linvoy Primus with Matthew Taylor returning at left back.

With Portsmouth kicking off towards the Norwich and Peterborough Stand, it was the Canaries who were the swifter into their stride, with McKenzie in particular hurriedly making his mark by forcing an early corner.

Jonson was also evident early and it was his neat ball inside Taylor in the seventh minute which almost saw McKenzie sneak in, only for the vastly-experienced Unsworth to slam the door shut with a solid tackle inside his own penalty area.

To prove it was far from one way traffic, the ever-dangerous Patrik Berger produced Portsmouth’s best moment in the eighth minute when he sent a 20-yard drive just over Robert Green’s bar.

The Canaries continued to enjoy the better of the game’s early exchanges and could twice have even taken the lead.

On 10 minutes Bentley swung a superb cross to the far edge of the Portsmouth six-yard box where McKenzie had stolen in ahead of Taylor.

The Canary striker met the ball with a firm downward header, only to see it rear up and beyond a beaten Shaka Hislop’s right hand upright with a goal seemingly beckoning.

Six minutes later and City went even closer when Bentley swung a near-post corner which Berger, marking the near post, opted to duck beneath in the belief that Hislop was there waiting behind him.

Instead the ball sailed sweetly on before slapping against the post and thus sparing Berger’s considerable blushes.

At the other end new boy Kamara came closest for the visitors as he twisted and turned away from Marc Edworthy only to blaze his final shot high over Green’s bar.

As the game swept beyond the half hour mark, so the balance of play continued as before with the Canaries enjoying a far greater share of possession, only for Portsmouth to threaten on the odd swift counter.

Darren Huckerby slots City's first equaliser after Shaka Hislop saved his penalty.

Kamara provided another such example in the 27th minute when he went on a fine, surging diagonal run that left both Fleming and Edworthy trailing, only to send his final shot spinning just wide of Green’s upright.

McKenzie was never far from the action and he almost struck in the 28th minute when Huckerby’s cross finally found its way to him via Damien Francis, only for the City striker’s swinging volley to prove slightly miss-timed as it span horribly up and away.

Bentley too was enjoying a fine afternoon on his return to the first team and after leaving three players trailing with an excellent break in the 33rd minute, it was only the linesman’s flag that denied Huckerby a clear goal scoring opportunity.

All Norwich’s hard work counted for little, however, in the 37th minute when the visitors took the lead. Quashie struck a fierce 35-yard drive goalward, which Green could only punch clear of a lurking Yakubu.

His tight turn found both Charlton and Fleming struggling to cover and having found himself the space he needed, the Portsmouth striker fired a low shot across an exposed Green and on into the bottom left hand corner.

To their credit, Norwich continued to press forward with the greater purpose, only for clear-cut opportunities to continue to elude them.

Bentley continued to prove Norwich’s biggest creative force as he fed an excellent ball into the channel for Francis to chase.

Though Hislop advanced with a brave block, the ball still span out towards Primus, only for the more alert McKenzie to steal in before striking his cross out for a goal-kick.

A minute before the interval and Portsmouth conceded the first yellow card of the game when Griffin tripped Bentley as he raced free.

Unfortunately from the subsequent free-kick, the on-loan Arsenal youngster found the wall, deflecting his shot wide to leave Norwich a goal adrift at the break with little to show for all their better industry.

Half-time: Norwich City 0, Portsmouth 1

The second half was barely two minutes old before the Canaries were to get their next sight of the Portsmouth goal.

This time it was Huckerby’s vision setting Francis free down the inside left channel only for the Canary midfielder to horribly slice his final shot as Hislop advanced from goal.

A minute later and the action had switched to the Canary six-yard box as Berger made the most of a very rare error from Charlton by slipping a reverse ball into the feet of Yakubu.

The Pompey striker appeared to have all the time and space he’d need to add a second goal to his Norfolk collection, only for a wonderful tackle from Edworthy to save the day.

With the game continuing in a bright and breezy fashion, Norwich twice within the space of a minute came close to grabbing a leveller.

First McKenzie would break strongly to the right and once Primus’ attempted clearance deflected back off him, it gave Bentley a chance to drill a difficult volley into the ground and up into Hislop’s waiting arms.

Moments later and a wonderful ball from Jonson behind Taylor sent Huckerby racing in on goal. His final, low cross, sped untouched through the Pompey six-yard box as McKenzie dived in, in hope of getting one, crucial touch.

With the Canary home fans spurred into even greater life by Norwich’s rousing start to the second period, Portsmouth at least knew they would have to work for their first away win of the season.

Norwich’s efforts were finally rewarded in the 61st minute when Huckerby twisted away from Taylor and with a clear run on goal opening up, Taylor proceeded to crawl all over Huckerby’s back as he brought him crashing to the ground and referee Matt Messias had no hesitation in pointing to the spot. Nor, in fairness, did Huckerby hesitate in going to take the spot kick himself after his success against Arsenal.

His penalty however was poorly struck as it awarded Hislop an easy diving save to his left.

It was much to Huckerby’s relief when the ball spilled up and away from Hislop and the Canary striker was alert enough to pop the rebound home for his third goal of the season.

Before all that, Portsmouth had made their first change of the afternoon with Ricardo Fuller replacing Kamara in the 59th minute.

The penalty also brought a second yellow card of the afternoon, this time for Taylor for protesting too loudly.

The game was now about to explode into remarkable life with two further goals in the space of three minutes.

Berger was the first to strike with a fabulous 25-yard strike after Charlton was adjudged to have fouled Quashie.

The ball was rolled little more than two-yards for the Czech international who rifled a fabulous rising drive high into the top right hand corner of Green’s goal with the Canary number one unable to get no more than a despairing hand to it.

Portsmouth’s lead lasted no more than two minutes before Norwich levelled.

Simon Charlton exploits the gap in the Portsmouth defence to beat Shaka Hislop with his 67th-minute equaliser, before celebrating his first goal for more than nine years.

Drury sent a teasing cross into the six-yard box following a Canary corner and there was Charlton to guide a simple header inside Hislop’s left hand post – a strike which needless to say had Carrow Road on its feet.

It was his first goal in professional football for nine years and prompted Portsmouth’s second change of the afternoon as Lomano Lua Lua replaced Cisse.

With the game now firmly on the boil, Jonson became Norwich’s first booking for a clumsy challenge on Taylor.

In the 71st minute Worthington made his first change of the afternoon when Paul McVeigh replaced Jonson who, after his best outing so far in a City shirt, left to a standing ovation.

Norwich continued to drive forward with the greater purposed and on 72 minutes came agonisingly close to storming into the lead.

Drury’s deep cross caused panic in the Pompey penalty area with both Berger and Quashie guilty of poor defensive headers.

In the end the ball bounced out to Holt, who from a good 25 yards out saw his glorious rising drive crash back off the crossbar with Hislop long beaten.

On 76 minutes Holt again went close to putting City ahead when his shot on the turn skidded little more than a couple of feet wide of Hislop’s right hand post.

Holt's glorious rising drive from 25 yards out beats Portsmouth goalkeeper Shaka Hislop before crashing off the crossbar.

By now Pompey boss Redknapp had decided it was time for his last throw of the dice as Amdy Faye was replaced by youngster Richard Hughes.

Two minutes later and Worthington made his own change with McKenzie being substituted for Mathias Svensson.

As the game headed towards its final five minutes, so it was City who were offering the greater purpose with Bentley seeing a looping header comfortably saved by Hislop from a Holt cross.

With the fourth official announcing there would be three minutes of added on time, Norwich continued to drive forward as Huckerby sent a hopeful 20-yard shot swirling into the Norwich and Peterborough Stand as the rain continued to teem down. City still had some defending to do with Green being forced into a good save by his near post.

Deep into injury time Portsmouth did force one last corner but once they opted to simply keep the ball by the corner flag, it was clear who were happier with the point.

Huckerby went on one final exhilarating run only to be scythed down in desperation by Unsworth.

Full-time: Norwich City 2, Portsmouth 2