Sunderland 1 Portsmouth 1

Dec 13 2009 by James Hunter, Sunday Sun

Pompey boss Avram Grant also made four changes to the side that beat Burnley 2-0 at Fratton Park last weekend. England keeper David James returning from injury in place of Asmir Begovic, while Kanu, Kaboul and Richard Hughes came in for Tommy Smith, Steve Finnan and Kevin Prince Boateng. Pompey’s side included former Sunderland man Tal Ben-Haim, who spent the second half of last season on loan with the Black Cats while still a Man City player.

Sunderland could have gone in front inside three minutes when a low cross from Nosworthy found Kenwyne Jones and he teed-up Campbell on the edge of the box, but his low shot was deflected behind for a corner.

Jones had a sight of goal himself in the 18th minute after he flicked on a long clearance from Márton Fülöp, and Bent laid the ball back into his path on the edge of the penalty area. But Jones’ low shot was straight at James, who made the block and his defenders cleared the loose ball.

Sunderland were in total control against a Pompey side that could not retain possession, far less conjure up a goal threat. And the Black Cats got the goal they deserved in the 23rd minute when Jordan Henderson cheekily nutmegged Marc Wilson out on the right and got to the byline, crossed to the far post where Andy Reid volleyed the ball back across the edge of the six-yard box and there was Bent to apply a left-foot finish into the bottom left-hand corner.

The impressive Henderson almost added a second five minutes later when Nosworthy got into the box down the right and cut the ball back to the teenager, but his 18-yard effort curled just past the top left-hand corner with James beaten.

Portsmouth didn’t manage a shot until the 36th minute, and when it came it was hardly worth the effort - Michael Brown’s 25-yard effort ending up closer to the corner flag than the goal.

Sunderland finished the half strongly but could not find the second goal that would have killed off the visitors. In the second half, Jamie O’Hara hit a 25-yard free-kick which Fülöp saved at the second attempt but that was all Pompey could muster as Sunderland continued to take charge Jones fired a yard wide from the edge of the box on the hour and then 10 minutes later Lorik Cana’s header from Andy Reid’s right-wing corner was stopped on the line by James.

Reid came closest to scoring the all-important second goal 11 minutes from time when he clipped the angle of post and bar with a 25-yard free-kick, with James beaten.

As time ticked by, Sunderland defended deeper and deeper and were caught out in injury-time when they conceded a corner on the right, substitute Frederic Piquionne got on the end of the flag-kick but saw his shot parried by Fülöp and Kaboul forced it home from close range.