Pompey hold Wolves

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Wolves 0-0 Portsmouth

Premiership newcomers Wolves and Portsmouth fought out a drab goalless draw in the sunshine at Molineux.

Wolves - searching for their opening win of the season - had opportunities to condemn Portsmouth to their first defeat.

But Pompey had chances of their own and in the end both sides were forced to settle for a share of the spoils after a scrappy deadlock.

The busiest man on the pitch was referee Andy D'Urso, who booked eight players and sent Portsmouth boss Harry Redknapp from the dug-out after a bust-up.

Redknapp, despite his dismissal, will be happier than Wolves counterpart David Jones, who will have been desperate for three points after a dismal start to the season.

Lively Camara

Wolves' summer signing Henri Camara made an instant impression on his home debut, setting up Alex Rae for a shot that was well saved low down by Shaka Hislop.

But Pompey demonstrated their threat after nine minutes when Steve Stone's shot was parried by Wolves goalkeeper Michael Oakes.

Teddy Sheringham came even closer after a neat step-over by Yakubu Ayegbini, with the former England striker shooting inches wide of the post.

It was the signal for a sustained bout of Wolves pressure, with both Shaun Newton and Camara going close.

And Wolves' bright spell continued when Colin Cameron's free-kick forced an error from Hislop and Paul Ince just failed to capitalise in a packed penalty area.

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Camara was in lively mood, and almost created an opening when he burst over the half-way line and found Cameron whose ball forward was met with a weak back-header from Boris Zivkovic.

The Senegal striker kept running and was inches away from connecting only for Hislop to get there first and clear.

Patrik Berger wasted a great Pompey chance when he got in the way of a superb right-wing cross from Ayegbini.

Berger sent a stumbling header wide from the edge of the six-yard box with the unmarked Zivkovic lurking.

Ayegbini was a lively figure for Portsmouth as they pressed forward, but the second half had become a dour struggle.

And the visitors suffered a setback midway through the second half when manager Redknapp was sent from the dug-out after a verbal altercation with the fourth official.

Referee D'Urso was having an eventful afternoon, with eight players booked as well as the sending off of Redknapp.

It was a tally hardly worthy of a turgid game that produced little in the way of genuine quality.

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Wolverhampton: Oakes, Irwin, Craddock, Butler, Naylor, Newton, Rae (Gudjonsson 80), Ince, Cameron, Camara, Blake.
Subs Not Used: Murray, Iversen, Silas, Okoronkwo.

Booked: Butler, Rae, Ince.

Portsmouth: Hislop, Schemmel, De Zeeuw, Stefanovic, Zivkovic, Stone (Smertin 68), Faye, Quashie, Berger, Ayegbini (Pericard 85), Sheringham.
Subs Not Used: Wapenaar, Primus, Harper.

Booked: Quashie, Stone, Schemmel, Zivkovic, Ayegbini.

Attendance: 28,860

Referee: A D'Urso (Essex).