Pompey went one up after 25 minutes despite long-throws causing a problem and Stoke would rue Kitson’s missed chance early on when Defoe picked up the ball and found Crouch who finished with a spectacular overhead kick. Stoke’s long balls were being picked up easily. Defoe looked desperate to score and had claims for a penalty turned away and rightly so as he lost his footing.
Fuller put in a typically committed performance and used his strength to scramble home an equaliser in the 48th minute stemming from a Rory Delap long-throw. It would clearly not be enough to steal a point however. Traore’s service to Defoe pointed to this as both he and Diop kept coming close. Simonsen did very well to keep out many of these efforts, depite getting booked in the process for a foul on Traore outside of the area.
It was not only Pompey that had a penalty shout however, Stoke had two of their own. Fuller latched onto the end of Michael Tonge’s ball through the centre before being brought down by David James as he attempted to take it around him. Fuller was also the man in the middle of the second penalty controversy as Sol Campbell appeared to fall on top of him. Yet again claims were turned away.
