Portsmouth 0 Arsenal 0: Portsmouth anger as Poll calls full-time

Controversial to the last, Graham Poll left Premiership football yesterday with the boos of Portsmouth supporters ringing in his ears.

The 43-year-old referee, in charge of what is expected to be his final top-flight match, denied the home side a goal which could have taken Harry Redknapp's team into the Uefa Cup. Portsmouth came off the field to discover that other results meant they would have qualified if Poll had not ruled out Niko Kranjcar's 68th-minute effort.

Mart Poom, the Arsenal goalkeeper, had spilt successive shots by Lomana Tresor LuaLua and Richard Hughes before the ball broke to Kranjcar, who scored from close range. The Croat looked offside, but whether he received the ball off Arsenal's Philippe Senderos or Hughes was another matter. Poll, however, consulted his assistants and ruled it out.

Redknapp, having seen television replays, said the goal should have stood, though he was philosophical. "There's nothing you can do about it," he said.

Some might regard the incident as typical of Poll, who has been one of the best officials of his generation but has always been followed by controversy. Indeed, if there was a ground where a pitch inspection would be necessary on the second Sunday in May, it just had to be at this game. Poll gave the go-ahead after heavy lunchtime rain had left water on the pitch.

Nevertheless, a home victory would have been an injustice. Arsenal were missing many familiar faces ­ their bench could not boast a single Premiership appearance ­ but their flowing football should have secured the victory which would have seen them finish third after Liverpool's failure to beat Charlton.

Arsenal might easily have had the match sewn up by half-time. With Emmanuel Eboué, Abou Diaby and Alexander Hleb taking it in turn to support Julio Baptista in attack, Arsène Wenger's men put together some delightful passing moves, only to be denied by the excellent David James.

The goalkeeper's two best saves denied Baptista. His outstretched hand deflected a firm low shot after the striker cut in from the left, while an even more spectacular effort kept out the Brazilian's penalty, awarded after Linvoy Primus had brought down Eboué. Diving to his right, James pushed his powerful strike over the bar.

When James was beaten, after Gaël Clichy's shot deflected off Noé Pamarot, Djimi Traoré was on hand to clear off the line.

Portsmouth's only first-half efforts were from distance, Sean Davis shooting wide and Kanu forcing Poom to make a flying save from 25 yards. Redknapp's men improved after the break but had few clear-cut chances.

However, the frustration felt over Poll's decision will linger long on the South Coast. "The last time we got into Europe was when Nelson invaded somewhere or other," Redknapp sighed.

Portsmouth (4-4-2): James; Johnson, Primus, Pamarot, Traoré; O'Neil (Mvuemba, 77), Davis (Mendes, 65), Hughes, Kranjcar; Mwaruwari (LuaLua, h-t), Kanu. Substitutes not used: Ashdown (gk), O'Brien.

Arsenal (4-5-1): Poom; Hoyte, Touré, Senderos, Clichy; Eboué, Diaby, Djorou, Fabregas, Hleb; Baptista. Substitutes not used: Mannone (gk), Connolly, O'Cearuill, Randall, Gibbs.

Referee: G Poll (Hertfordshire).

Man of the match: Fabregas.

Attendance: 20,188.