The Hindu : Sport / Football : Portsmouth draws with West Brom

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Portsmouth draws with West Brom

— Photo: AFP

THE SAVIOUR: Nemanja Vidic’s injury-time goal saw Manchester United beat Sunderland at Old Trafford on Saturday.

MANCHESTER: England striker Peter Crouch’s equaliser kept West Bromwich Albion bottom of the Premier League table as Portsmouth fought back to draw 1-1 at the Hawthorns here on Sunday.

Crouch scored his ninth goal of the season just before the hour mark on a day when Portsmouth owner Alexandre Gaydamak announced the FA Cup holder was up for sale.

The draw denied West Brom a first win in nine league games. It took the lead thanks to Jonathan Greening’s 39th minute goal against a Portsmouth side struggling to bounce back from its midweek UEFA Cup defeat in Wolfsburg.

Former Manchester United midfielder Greening gave Tony Mowbray’s men the lead when the Baggies captain was first to react after a Chris Brunt free-kick came back off the crossbar as he sidefooted in from six yards.

Crouch though revived Portsmouth in the 58th minute with a brilliant strike from 25 yards out.

Vidic stars for United

Nemanja Vidic’s injury-time goal finally saw Manchester United overcome a spirited Sunderland to win 1-0 on Saturday. Victory ensured the reigning champion remained in third place, six points behind leader Liverpool.

Earlier, Cristiano Ronaldo made a bizarre exit, substituting himself midway through the second-half due to an apparent rib injury.

Ronaldo appeared in some distress as he signalled to the bench, but instead of waiting for a replacement to be readied, he simply limped off the pitch in the 65th minute.

The results: West Bromwich Albion 1 (Greening 39) drew with Portsmouth 1 (Crouch 58); Everton 2 (Lescott 30, 90) lost to Aston Villa 3 (Sidwell 1, A. Young 54, 90+3).

On Saturday: Manchester United 1 (Vidic 91) bt Sunderland 0. — Agencies

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