Sent-off Redknapp vents fury at 'inept' D'Urso

Wolverhampton Wanderers 0 Portsmouth

Wolves picked up their first point in the Barclaycard Premiership but Teddy Sheringham missed a golden chance to send Portsmouth back to the top at Molineux today.

The former England striker prodded a 72nd–minute chance straight at the legs of Paul Butler from point–blank range with Wolves keeper Michael Oakes beaten.

However, Wolves deserved to end their run of three defeats after a dour struggle which proved too much for Pompey boss Harry Redknapp.

Redknapp was sent to the stands by referee Andy D'Urso shortly after the hour for complaining about a challenge which left his striker Yakubu Ayegbini on the deck.

Redknapp will also have been aggrieved about the five Pompey bookings dished out by D'Urso in a tough but never malicious clash of these top–flight new boys.

Despite their dismal start to the season Wolves began bursting with the confidence instilled by their courageous performance at Manchester United on Wednesday night.

Henri Camara had posed the United defence problems and took just a minute of his home debut to run rings around Dejan Stefanovic in the Pompey defence.

But for all his good work Camara once again failed to find the killer touch which would have sent his side into the two–week Premiership break in even better spirits.

Pompey looked more threatening going forward and showed commitment, but on the evidence of this display it is to the bottom of the table and not the top they will be looking come the New Year.

The dangerous Ayegbini found Steve Stone in the ninth minute and the former England man brought a fine save out of Oakes.

Sheringham missed his first chance one minute later when he seized on a chance created by his fellow frontman but hit a low right–footed shot inches wide of Michael Oakes' left–hand post.

Denis Irwin caught out the Pompey rearguard in the 15th minute with a fine through–ball to send Camara scampering clear.

But the Senegal forward was harried by Sebastien Schemmel and ended up shooting narrowly wide of Shaka Hislop's left–hand post.

Sheringham got in the way of a long–range Nigel Quashie effort in the 17th minute and at the other end both Newton and Camara came close to prodding home the opener through a crowded box.

Jody Craddock almost sent Nathan Blake clear only for Stefanovic and Hislop to combine to clear the danger.

And Paul Ince shot into a forest of legs after Hislop had spilled a Colin Cameron free–kick into his path.

Camara almost succeeded in pouncing on a weak Boris Zivkovic back–pass in the 23rd minute but Hislop was alert to clear the danger.

Pompey should have gone ahead moments before half–time when Patrik Berger headed an Ayegbini cross weakly wide with Zivkovic waiting behind him to surely score.

D'Urso's whistle came to dominate an increasingly scrappy second half and the increasing list of Pompey names in his notebook proved too much for Redknapp, who was sent to the stands after the fourth official had alerted D'Urso.

But Sheringham will regret missing his late chance which was presented to him by Oakes.

The goalkeeper spilled an Ayegbini cross but after squeezing the ball around the helpless keeper, Sheringham prodded his shot straight at Butler on the Wolves goal–line.

Moments later Sheringham blasted a free–kick across the face of goal from a tight angle after Alex Rae had brought down Ayegbini.

Wolverhampton Wanderers 0 Portsmouth 0

Attendance: 28,860