Pompey 0 Hartlepool 0: Carson - it's the way he saves 'em
Pompey's pre-Christmas schedule ended on a disappointing note as they were held to a 0-0 draw by Hartlepool at Fratton Park.
The Blues had all the best chances - and plenty of them - but forner Fratton stopper Trevor Carson was in sublime form to earn the struggling north-easterners a point and deny Pompey a victory they craved.
The outcome was all too familiar as far as this season goes - all too ften, at least since the end of September, fine displays and results away from home have not been followed up at home - a far cry from the earlier part of the season when the home form at one stage brought three wins in four weeks with 12 Pompey goals, and the away form was poor.
If only they could get both aspects of their form right at the same time.
With the Blues unchanged, they had the lion's share of the play from the word go but created little. Gary Roberts and Michael Smith were the only two Blues players to cause any alarm to the Pools defence early on, with the latter's header needing a smart save from Carson.
Kyle Bennett, Carl Baker and Gareth Evans all went close to giving Pompey a first-half lead.
Baker was at the centre of much of Pompey's attacking play early in the seconfd but couldn't unlock the door, and Paul Cook made a double change with 22 minutes left, bringing on Conor Chaplin and Kal Naismith for Roberts and Bennett.
Chaplin and Smith caused the visitors plenty of nervous moments in the final stages - including what looked like a decent penalty shout for a challenge on the young sub - but it just wasn't Pompey's day, and how many times have we said that after a home game recently? Too many.
Pompey (4-2-3-1): Forde; Evans, Burgess, Clarke, Stevens; Rose (Hunt 90+4), Doyle (c); Baker, Roberts (Chaplin 68), Bennett (Naismith 68); Smith. Subs not used: O’Brien, T.Davies, Linganzi, Lalkovic
Referee: Graham Horwood
Attendance: 17,081 (132 away fans)
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