Portsmouth against Everton

Free-kick once more swung over the back of the Pompey defence. Ferguson wins the nod down and almost finds Cahill but Hislop is first to it.

Neat triangles involving Cahill, Gravesen and Bent works the ball down the right before Bent is tripped.

Decent cross from the right from Faye finds an Everton box crowded with white shirts.

free-kick near the half-way line was floated towards the back of the six yard box. Cahill had spun away from Griffin to find some space and a solid header gave Hilop no chance. His celebration was, understandably, muted. He kept his top on anyway.

The deadlock is broken by the Australian Cahill. 1-0 Everton.

Bent goes close with a snap shot from the left that he never really got hold of.

Pompet fans are roused at last and their 'famous' atmosphere rears it's head. Long may it continue as it drowns out the sound of that bloody bell!

Free-kick on the edge of the box, slightly to the left for Portsmouth has Unsworth and LuaLua stood over it. LuaLua takes it and sends it well over the crossbar. Poor.

Free-kick is punted into the Pompey box. Ferguson was inches away from getting a touch that would have resulted in a goal. Stefanovic was strong to hold him back and a grateful Hislop makes sure he holds on to it.

First booking of the game as Faye cuts through the back of Ferguson's legs. Referee had no option there.

Slight improvement on the first half but still little to get excited about. Get the feeling that one goal will be enough to win this.

Similar position for Quashie at the other end. Better from the Pompey player. Power and pace on the drive but Martyn was well positioned and saved.

Kilbane winds up for an effort from around 25 yards, dead centre. Draged it well wide in the end.

Great movement from Weir nearly breaks the deadlock. Corner swung in to the near post. Weir was on to it whilst the Portsmouth defence remained static. He tried to angle the header back across goal but it went too straight and wide of the goal.

Bent, playing out wide now, shows industry rather than guile to work down the right wing and earn a corner.

Pompey substitution switches Fuller with Diomansy Kamara.

Free-kick from Everton is poor but they retain possession and, with numbers in the box, Ferguson wins a back post header that almost drops to Kilbane before Hislop nicks in front of him.

Latest in a long line of clashed heads sees Fuller a little dazed but nothing more.

Bent guilty of taking too long with a decent chance. Pompey players were drawn to Kilbane but his diagonal pass picked out Bent on the edge of the box in oceans of space. Took a couple of touches to control it and then rather snatched at the shot, draging it well wide.

LuaLua is enjoying plenty of time and possession down the right wing. Once more, however, his cross fails to clear the first defender.

More route one stuff from Everton. The bouncing ball just eludes Bent but Primus has the presence of mind to calmly nod back to Hislop.

Ring, ring and ring. Does the fella with the bell not need a rest?

Gravesen, Bent and Ferguson make hard work of the space and time they had between them on the edge of the Pompey box. Neat ball from Ferguson to Bent eventually tempts him to shoot and it only goes over by a tiny margin.

Hibbert is annoyed that he had few options to aim for. His team-mates are annoyed he put the ball out of play when under no pressure.

Everton second best in this half so it is little surprise to see them make a change. Off goes Watson to be replaced by Duncan 'Big Dunc' Ferguson.

Long free kick is flicked on towards Watson at the far post. Hislop is alert enough to get hold of it before the Everton man but offside had been awarded anyway.

Portsmouth have started the second half with more menace. The change has had an instant impact with LuaLua involved in plenty so far.

Corner meets the head of Stefanovic but his glancing header flashes just wide.

LuaLua provides much needed width for Portsmouth and a lay-off from Fuller sets up the cross. Decent enough ball in but Yobo heads behind for a corner.

Portsmouth retain possession though and eventually set up Berger on the edge of the box. The Everton defence though, aware of Berger's ability, are quick to close him down.

Break for Pompey pits Fuller in a race with Yobo. Yobo comes out on top but only thanks to a push on his opponent. Free-kick to the home side deep in Everton territory but it comes to nothing.

Neat passing from Pompey works the ball up to Yakubu by the corner flag. Yobo is strong in the tackle but only gets it as far as LuaLua. The substitute tries his luck from the corner of the box but it is always bending away from goal.

LuaLua starts brightly with a poweful run down the right but his cross can't pick out a team-mate.

Early attempt on goal from Everton. Portsmouth a little narrow allowing Unsworth to get forward and hit an angled daisy cutter down the throat of Hislop.

Second half starts with joy of joys - that bell still ringing. I have a head ache.

An enforced rather than tactical change from the visitors. Alan Stubbs will take no further part in this game after that head injury. Joseph Yobo is the like-for-like replacement.

Positive move from the Portsmouth bench. On comes Lomana Tresor LuaLua for the ineffectual Berkovic.

In turth this has been a poor game so far. Plenty of effort and committment - even a few chances - but there is no fluidity to either side's game. Quashie came the closest with a fierce shot that rattled the post and Cahill has been a thorn in the side of the Pompey defence but 0-0 sums it up. Lots of stoppages haven't helped and you definitely feel there is better to come from both sides.

Half-time arrives with either side yet to score.

Fuller raises expectations and then almost as quickly dashes them. Twisting and turning with the ball seemingly stuck to his boot he created space in the box where there looked to be none. Then, when he should have shot, he kept going and ran into a blind alley. Shame.

Deep free-kick sees Kilbane sneek in between Unsworth and Stefanovic but his header is not a clean one and the target is missed by some distance.

Three minutes to be added.

Yakubu collects a loose ball on the right hand side of Everton's box. White shirts are drawn to him but, with options all around the box, he cracks one low and hard in to the side netting. Wrong option.

Handball from Carsley right on the left hand corner of the Everton box sets up a dangerous free-kick. Short, square ball to Quashie but he slices it unforgivably wide. Very poor indeed.

That bell is still ringing.

Simple long throw number nearly comes off for Everton. Bent makes the near post flick and Cahill, arriving at the back post is just out muscled by Unsworth.

Very little to be telling you about at the moment. After a ten/fifteen minute spell promised something this game has really died.

Clumsy foul from Faye on Gravesen leads to the first free-kick against Pompey.

Gravesen gives Bent something to chase to set up a promising Everton attack. Halted and the ball is worked back to Carsley who, rather wastefully, shoots from a long, long way out. It goes a long, long way over.

Stubbs is back on the pitch sporting a Terry Butcher style wrap-around bandage number.

Everton down to ten men for the time being while Stubbs is off. Kilbane has dropped back with Pistone moving across to central defence.

All these stoppages are doing nothing to improve the flow of this contest. Very, very bitty but quite entertaining in short spells.

Another man down. Stubbs this time takes a purely accidental crack on the head from Yakubu's skull as the two went up for a high ball.

Real chance for Portsmouth. High cross in to the box sees Yakubu fall under a challenge from Stubbs - no penalty, despite the protestations of most of the crowd - and the ball spills wide to Faye. A tightish angle but he had time to pick his spot. However, head down he burried it in to the advertising hoardings right in front of him. Wasteful.

Quashie the latest to spend time with the physio in what has not been a dirty match.

Both teams are huffing and puffing but without much in the way of end product. Not a bad game but still a little flat.

Three blue shirts swamp Kilbane on the left - they are clearly paying due attention - but he still manages to get the better of them. Unfortunately for Everton his team-mates waste the hard fought for possession.

Huge punt forward from Hislop goes all the way to his opposite number. Yakubu jumps against Martyn and hurts himself in the process.

More sportsmanship on show as Unsworth puts it out for Gravesen to get some attention from the Everton physio. The Dane having been the victim of a crunching Berger - yes, Patrick Berger - tackle.

Long ball hoisted forward is aimed at Fuller and he looks to be after it until he slips, allowing Stubbs to mop up the ball.

Kilbane again tries to wriggle into the box from the left but, once again, Griffin is the equal of him.

Chances for both sides but no real fluidity to the game.

Portsmouth once again have cause to be grateful for Stefanovic. Ball down the left sets Gravesen away and he gets to the byline with some ease. Great, low centre drilled across virtually the goal line is a tap in for Bent until Stefanovic, retreating, hooks the ball away. Quality and composed defending.

Corner causes a few anxious moments in the Pompey box but twice Stefanovic comes to the home side's rescue.

Kilbane, who is seeing a lot of the ball at the moment, takes on Giffin. The Pompey man gets the better of him this time, at the expense of a corner. Interesting little battle that one.

Everton corner picks out Weir at the back stick. Gets up well but once he is their he is unable to get any power on it. Down and goalbound but Hislop has no worries with it.

Quashie comes the closest yet to scoring. From a similar position as his last effort he unleashed a stinging shot that beat Martyn all ends up but came crashing back of the post. Cracking effort. We have a game on out hands now.

Game picking up now after an opening ten minutes of sparring between the two sides.

Chance at the other end. Wonderful run towrds the far post by Watson is picked out from deep. He conected well first time but his half-volley flashes past the left upright. Great chance.

More work for Martyn. Quashie given space to run in to in the Everton half. He doesn't need asking twice and tries his luck from distance. The shot is going wide until it takes a savage deflection. Martyn was wrong footed but recovered well enough to beat the shot away.

Martyn has to concentrate as a mis-hit centre from Unsworth loops and drops down just under his crossbar. Bright sunshine made the task a little trickier but the former England man has no problems.

Rip-roaring start to a game this is not.

Pompey fans, as ever, in good voice. And that man with the bell is here, as ever. Oh how I love the monotonous sound of a single ringing bell for ninety minutes!

Cahill, looking well up for this one, nicked in front of Primus to take the ball off his toes as the last defender but his touch was too strong and Hislop had time to collect.

Berger siezed on a loose pass from Carsley to run at the defence. Cut back to Unsworth sets up the cross but it is too high and too long.

Good searching ball down the left channel finds Yakubu. He tries to spin round the back of Weir but a good challenge earns Evberton a throw.

Ball sportingly put out of play so that Faye can get some treatment. No malice but he and Cahill just got tangled up with each other in a tackle.

Pompey looking to play it out of defence but good pressing from Gravesen shows the visitor's intentions.

First hint of an opening as Primus and Stefanovic go for the same ball almost putting Bent in but Griffin covers well.

Game gets underway it bright conditions that are perfect for playing football.

Portsmouth's start has been less dramatic but at home they are a very tough nut to crack. Two fully committed teams go head-to-head this afternoon in what should be a lively affair. The game with be special for Everton old boy David Unsworth. Should the home side get a penalty, it will take a brave (or stupid) man to try and take it ahead of him.

So, Everton, club in crisis, skint and robbed of their best player in the summer take on Pompey at Fraton Park. A six pointer? Well, not quite. A win today for David Moyes men will strengthen their hold on third - yes third - place and take them to within a point of Chelsea.

Portsmouth are unbeaten at home, while Everton have yet to lose on the road. Find out which side comes out on top from 16.05 BST

Free-kick from Everton is poor but they retain possession and, with numbers in the box, Ferguson wins a back post header that almost drops to Kilbane before Hislop nicks in front of him.

Latest in a long line of clashed heads sees Fuller a little dazed but nothing more.

Bent guilty of taking too long with a decent chance. Pompey players were drawn to Kilbane but his diagonal pass picked out Bent on the edge of the box in oceans of space. Took a couple of touches to control it and then rather snatched at the shot, draging it well wide.

LuaLua is enjoying plenty of time and possession down the right wing. Once more, however, his cross fails to clear the first defender.

More route one stuff from Everton. The bouncing ball just eludes Bent but Primus has the presence of mind to calmly nod back to Hislop.

Ring, ring and ring. Does the fella with the bell not need a rest?

Gravesen, Bent and Ferguson make hard work of the space and time they had between them on the edge of the Pompey box. Neat ball from Ferguson to Bent eventually tempts him to shoot and it only goes over by a tiny margin.

Hibbert is annoyed that he had few options to aim for. His team-mates are annoyed he put the ball out of play when under no pressure.

Everton second best in this half so it is little surprise to see them make a change. Off goes Watson to be replaced by Duncan 'Big Dunc' Ferguson.

Long free kick is flicked on towards Watson at the far post. Hislop is alert enough to get hold of it before the Everton man but offside had been awarded anyway.

Portsmouth have started the second half with more menace. The change has had an instant impact with LuaLua involved in plenty so far.

Corner meets the head of Stefanovic but his glancing header flashes just wide.

LuaLua provides much needed width for Portsmouth and a lay-off from Fuller sets up the cross. Decent enough ball in but Yobo heads behind for a corner.

Portsmouth retain possession though and eventually set up Berger on the edge of the box. The Everton defence though, aware of Berger's ability, are quick to close him down.

Break for Pompey pits Fuller in a race with Yobo. Yobo comes out on top but only thanks to a push on his opponent. Free-kick to the home side deep in Everton territory but it comes to nothing.

Neat passing from Pompey works the ball up to Yakubu by the corner flag. Yobo is strong in the tackle but only gets it as far as LuaLua. The substitute tries his luck from the corner of the box but it is always bending away from goal.

LuaLua starts brightly with a poweful run down the right but his cross can't pick out a team-mate.

Early attempt on goal from Everton. Portsmouth a little narrow allowing Unsworth to get forward and hit an angled daisy cutter down the throat of Hislop.

Second half starts with joy of joys - that bell still ringing. I have a head ache.

An enforced rather than tactical change from the visitors. Alan Stubbs will take no further part in this game after that head injury. Joseph Yobo is the like-for-like replacement.

Positive move from the Portsmouth bench. On comes Lomana Tresor LuaLua for the ineffectual Berkovic.

In turth this has been a poor game so far. Plenty of effort and committment - even a few chances - but there is no fluidity to either side's game. Quashie came the closest with a fierce shot that rattled the post and Cahill has been a thorn in the side of the Pompey defence but 0-0 sums it up. Lots of stoppages haven't helped and you definitely feel there is better to come from both sides.

Half-time arrives with either side yet to score.

Fuller raises expectations and then almost as quickly dashes them. Twisting and turning with the ball seemingly stuck to his boot he created space in the box where there looked to be none. Then, when he should have shot, he kept going and ran into a blind alley. Shame.

Deep free-kick sees Kilbane sneek in between Unsworth and Stefanovic but his header is not a clean one and the target is missed by some distance.

Three minutes to be added.

Yakubu collects a loose ball on the right hand side of Everton's box. White shirts are drawn to him but, with options all around the box, he cracks one low and hard in to the side netting. Wrong option.

Handball from Carsley right on the left hand corner of the Everton box sets up a dangerous free-kick. Short, square ball to Quashie but he slices it unforgivably wide. Very poor indeed.

That bell is still ringing.

Simple long throw number nearly comes off for Everton. Bent makes the near post flick and Cahill, arriving at the back post is just out muscled by Unsworth.

Very little to be telling you about at the moment. After a ten/fifteen minute spell promised something this game has really died.

Clumsy foul from Faye on Gravesen leads to the first free-kick against Pompey.

Gravesen gives Bent something to chase to set up a promising Everton attack. Halted and the ball is worked back to Carsley who, rather wastefully, shoots from a long, long way out. It goes a long, long way over.

Stubbs is back on the pitch sporting a Terry Butcher style wrap-around bandage number.

Everton down to ten men for the time being while Stubbs is off. Kilbane has dropped back with Pistone moving across to central defence.

All these stoppages are doing nothing to improve the flow of this contest. Very, very bitty but quite entertaining in short spells.

Another man down. Stubbs this time takes a purely accidental crack on the head from Yakubu's skull as the two went up for a high ball.

Real chance for Portsmouth. High cross in to the box sees Yakubu fall under a challenge from Stubbs - no penalty, despite the protestations of most of the crowd - and the ball spills wide to Faye. A tightish angle but he had time to pick his spot. However, head down he burried it in to the advertising hoardings right in front of him. Wasteful.

Quashie the latest to spend time with the physio in what has not been a dirty match.

Both teams are huffing and puffing but without much in the way of end product. Not a bad game but still a little flat.

Three blue shirts swamp Kilbane on the left - they are clearly paying due attention - but he still manages to get the better of them. Unfortunately for Everton his team-mates waste the hard fought for possession.

Huge punt forward from Hislop goes all the way to his opposite number. Yakubu jumps against Martyn and hurts himself in the process.

More sportsmanship on show as Unsworth puts it out for Gravesen to get some attention from the Everton physio. The Dane having been the victim of a crunching Berger - yes, Patrick Berger - tackle.

Long ball hoisted forward is aimed at Fuller and he looks to be after it until he slips, allowing Stubbs to mop up the ball.

Kilbane again tries to wriggle into the box from the left but, once again, Griffin is the equal of him.

Chances for both sides but no real fluidity to the game.

Portsmouth once again have cause to be grateful for Stefanovic. Ball down the left sets Gravesen away and he gets to the byline with some ease. Great, low centre drilled across virtually the goal line is a tap in for Bent until Stefanovic, retreating, hooks the ball away. Quality and composed defending.

Corner causes a few anxious moments in the Pompey box but twice Stefanovic comes to the home side's rescue.

Kilbane, who is seeing a lot of the ball at the moment, takes on Giffin. The Pompey man gets the better of him this time, at the expense of a corner. Interesting little battle that one.

Everton corner picks out Weir at the back stick. Gets up well but once he is their he is unable to get any power on it. Down and goalbound but Hislop has no worries with it.

Quashie comes the closest yet to scoring. From a similar position as his last effort he unleashed a stinging shot that beat Martyn all ends up but came crashing back of the post. Cracking effort. We have a game on out hands now.

Game picking up now after an opening ten minutes of sparring between the two sides.

Chance at the other end. Wonderful run towrds the far post by Watson is picked out from deep. He conected well first time but his half-volley flashes past the left upright. Great chance.

More work for Martyn. Quashie given space to run in to in the Everton half. He doesn't need asking twice and tries his luck from distance. The shot is going wide until it takes a savage deflection. Martyn was wrong footed but recovered well enough to beat the shot away.

Martyn has to concentrate as a mis-hit centre from Unsworth loops and drops down just under his crossbar. Bright sunshine made the task a little trickier but the former England man has no problems.

Rip-roaring start to a game this is not.

Pompey fans, as ever, in good voice. And that man with the bell is here, as ever. Oh how I love the monotonous sound of a single ringing bell for ninety minutes!

Cahill, looking well up for this one, nicked in front of Primus to take the ball off his toes as the last defender but his touch was too strong and Hislop had time to collect.

Berger siezed on a loose pass from Carsley to run at the defence. Cut back to Unsworth sets up the cross but it is too high and too long.

Good searching ball down the left channel finds Yakubu. He tries to spin round the back of Weir but a good challenge earns Evberton a throw.

Ball sportingly put out of play so that Faye can get some treatment. No malice but he and Cahill just got tangled up with each other in a tackle.

Pompey looking to play it out of defence but good pressing from Gravesen shows the visitor's intentions.

First hint of an opening as Primus and Stefanovic go for the same ball almost putting Bent in but Griffin covers well.

Game gets underway it bright conditions that are perfect for playing football.

Portsmouth's start has been less dramatic but at home they are a very tough nut to crack. Two fully committed teams go head-to-head this afternoon in what should be a lively affair. The game with be special for Everton old boy David Unsworth. Should the home side get a penalty, it will take a brave (or stupid) man to try and take it ahead of him.

So, Everton, club in crisis, skint and robbed of their best player in the summer take on Pompey at Fraton Park. A six pointer? Well, not quite. A win today for David Moyes men will strengthen their hold on third - yes third - place and take them to within a point of Chelsea.

Portsmouth are unbeaten at home, while Everton have yet to lose on the road. Find out which side comes out on top from 16.05 BST