Foxes find a quick way over the spray

Portsmouth 0 Leicester City

The phrase "flooding the midfield" took on a new meaning here yesterday during a game between the top two clubs in the First Division that should probably never have started and definitely not have finished. Appallingly wet conditions on the south coast meant that it was impossible to judge the teams' respective merits, and what could have been a showcase for the Nationwide League became something close to a farce.

After the final whistle Portsmouth's largest crowd of the season were still able to chant "top of the league", but the lead was cut from seven to four points and their team had been second best, their passing game negated by the pitch as much as Leicester City's shrewder methods of adapting to it.

The direct route was the sensible one and Leicester took it, scoring from the most basic of moves early on and then from a set-piece before half-time. Their manager, Micky Adams, rightly praised his side's character and determination, exemplified by old battlers like Matt Elliott, Gerry Taggart and Brian Deane. Predictably, Adams felt that it was reasonable for the referee, Andy Hall, to take the Magnus Magnusson line: "I've started so I'll finish."

Just as unsurprising was Harry Redknapp's verdict: "That was farcical, the worst I've ever seen. The ref told [Paul] Merson when it was 1-0, 'if you score, I'll stop it'. How he started the game I don't know."

Merson did his best, splashing in at the far post on one occasion to slide a cross by Vincent Pericard just wide, but Pompey were rarely as close again, and once Elliott added the second goal, the referee appeared to take the odd view that the one-sided scoreline justified continuing. He had staged his one pre-match pitch inspection a long time before the start, by which time there was standing water on the lower lying areas of the playing surface, by both touchlines.

That hindered Portsmouth's normally influential wing-backs, Steve Stone and Matthew Taylor, though so, to be fair, did Adams' bold strategy in playing three forwards against Portsmouth's three-man defence. The home side usually had no cover at the back and were first caught out in the 13th minute. Leicester's goalkeeper Ian Walker launched a long kick downfield, Paul Dickov went past Arjan de Zeeuw and fed James Scowcroft, who twisted smartly to score.

When two defenders then collided out on the left, Gianluca Festa suffering a bad knee injury, Leicester had at least one spare man, but Muzzy Izzet's shot was blocked. Another route-one move, Walker's kick to Deane's head, set up Dickov again for a header nudged wide, but six minutes from the interval a second goal arrived. Izzet took a left-wing corner and Elliott's back header at the near post was already over the line before De Zeeuw hacked clear.

There was some doubt about whether the teams would appear for the second half, especially since a grand total of two men with forks had made such desultory efforts to improve conditions. Huge puddles by each touchline were simply left, and made life impossible for anyone trying to move the ball down the flanks.

Leicester merely carried on as before and almost had a third goal just before the hour. After some paddling around on the far side, Alan Rogers sent over an inswinging free-kick that Scowcroft headed against the crossbar. Portsmouth's best opportunity did not materialise until the 89th minute, when the substitute Mark Burchill, looking offside, could do no better than jab his effort wide.

So it was not quite the day that Portsmouth's Serbian chairman, Milan Mandaric, was hoping for. But gates are at their highest for almost 35 years and 21,000 replica kits have been sold. Blue and white umbrellas would be well worth considering.

Portsmouth 0 Leicester City 2
Scowcroft 13, Elliott 39

Half-time: 0-2 Attendance: 19,107