Crystal Palace 0-0 Portsmouth
Last updated on .From the section Football
Crystal Palace extended their unbeaten run in all competitions to eight matches after a goalless draw with Portsmouth at Selhurst Park.
It left Portsmouth still looking for their first Championship away win despite shading a game of few chances.
Portsmouth defender Ricardo Rocha blocked a shot from Nathaniel Clyne before the visitors took control and Jason Pearce headed against the bar.
But fourth-placed Palace held on for an impressive sixth straight clean sheet.
Dougie Freedman's men made the brighter start with teenager Wilfried Zaha again looking dangerous in the Palace attack.
With 24 minutes gone Pearce's slip let in Zaha and he cut the ball back for Clyne, who saw his shot blocked by the alert Rocha.
The visitors came agonisingly close to taking the lead when an excellent free-kick from Liam Lawrence was met by Pearce but his looping header cannoned off the post.
Pompey finished the half as the stronger side and Luke Varney almost got clear from Lawrence's through-ball but home keeper Julian Speroni was quick off his line to collect.
Neither side took control at the start of the second half but Portsmouth had a half-chance when Joel Ward mis-hit a cross which Speroni had to claw away.
The game then descended into a war of attrition with both sides giving the ball away and cancelling each other out.
Freedman tried to inject some spark into his side's display by bringing Sean Scannell on for Jonathan Parr but the Eagles struggled to create any meaningful chances.
Varney got away down the right and Speroni came rushing off his line but the Pompey frontman failed to get the lift on his shot with the goal gaping.
Palace pushed forward, winning a succession of corners, but the Portsmouth defence stood firm and both sides had to settle for a point.
