Table-topping Portsmouth came from behind to win a share of the spoils in a clash of the First Division's top two at The Walkers Stadium this evening. Matthew Taylor drilled in Pompey's equaliser from long range after Trevor Benjamin had opened the scoring for the home side.
It was a predictably cagey and at times scrappy meeting but the protagonists did enough to maintain their billing as favourites for automatic promotion to the Premiership, the pair now 13 points clear of the chasing pack led by Sheffield United. The hosts took an early lead when Portsmouth defender Arjan de Zeeuw failed to control the ball and it fell fortuitously into the path of Benjamin, who hooked it past Shaka Hislop for his first at Leicester's new ground.
Portsmouth looked to respond after that ninth-minute shock but Foxes goalkeeper Ian Walker was equal to Svetoslav Todorov's tame effort. Paul Dickov failed to take a gilt-edged second-half opportunity to when he cut in off the left wing but failed to trouble Hislop with a wayward shot across goal.
It proved the cue for Harry redknapp's side to spark into life and Paul Merson went close before a last-ditch Frank Sinclair tackle denied Todorov. The equaliser came in the 65th minute courtesy of Taylor, though Merson deserved his fair share of the credit too after a trademark pass off the outside of the right boot.
Taking his prompt, Taylor advanced with the ball at his feet before producing a spectacular right-foot curler which nestled in the back of the net off the inside of the post. Taylor gave substitute Nicky Summerbee, on for Benjamin, the slip before again threatening Walker from range but for all their late promise the visitors found it impossible to breach the Leicester defence on a second occasion, Merson's insipid late effort not withstanding.
Filed by Shane Murray
