Guardian 25/2/12
Neil Warnock's Leeds held by Portsmouth in his first game in charge
Ian Winrow at Fratton Park
In an encounter between two managers with very different targets, it was Portsmouth's Michael Appleton who had more reason to be satisfied with a draw than Neil Warnock, who failed to mark his first official game in charge of Leeds with a win. Yet while the point may prove invaluable to Portsmouth as they battle the combined threat of relegation and financial meltdown, results elsewhere meant they still capped another desperately painful week by sinking to second-bottom in the Championship.
Warnock's eyes are trained upwards and after accepting Ken Bates's invitation to succeed Simon Grayson he will have hoped for much more than a solitary point that maintains Leeds's position in 10th, four points off the top six.
The manager's impact in his new job had been immediate, with his unplanned half-time visit to the dressing room at Doncaster last weekend contributing to Leeds's subsequent success in transforming a losing position into a 3-2 victory. That gave the manager the start he wanted but he knows he will have to coax a consistent run of form from his new players if they are to progress from the fringes of the play-off positions and secure a return to the Premier League.
The challenge confronting Appleton could hardly be more different. The Portsmouth manager and his players are working to remain in the Championship and if they succeed, they will have done it despite the 10-point deduction imposed after the club went into administration nine days ago and the climate of uncertainty that now surrounds the club.
Thirty-three members of staff have been made redundant, while other staff – including the players – will be forced to wait for unpaid wages. Trevor Birch, the joint administrator of the club, has warned that even more challenging times lie ahead, using his programme notes to reveal the club could "run out of cash within the next couple of months".
The departure of their leading scorer Erik Huseklepp on loan to Birmingham City last week – a deal driven by the need to cut costs – has added to the sense of gloom.
Appleton's players, however, responded well after yet another difficult week in the club's history, providing an enterprising first-half performance that should have seen them take the lead and force Warnock to reprise his Doncaster team-talk. Joel Ward forced a save from the Leeds keeper Andy Lonergan in the eighth minute and Hayden Mullins twice came close with powerful shots from the edge of the area.
Leeds offered little by way of response but any satisfaction Portsmouth may have drawn from their first-half display was replaced by a feeling of intense frustration at being denied a penalty moments before the interval when the Leeds defender Tom Lees clearly appeared to handle a cross.
The incident might have deflated Portsmouth but Appleton's side quickly shrugged off the disappointment and started the second period as they had ended the first, pressing Leeds back and causing further discomfort for Lonergan.
To Warnock's relief, though, Leeds finally began to find their feet as Portsmouth's exuberance started to fade and the visitors came close to taking the lead in the 54th minute when Ross McCormack drilled a left-foot shot against the underside of the bar; the offside flag saved the home side when Robert Snodgrass headed in the rebound. Three minutes later Leeds were again denied when Stephen Henderson – one of four Pompey players to help out in the ticket office this week – produced an excellent save to deny Luciano Becchio after the striker had run clear of the Portsmouth defence.
Neil Warnock's Leeds held by Portsmouth in his first game in charge
Ian Winrow at Fratton Park
In an encounter between two managers with very different targets, it was Portsmouth's Michael Appleton who had more reason to be satisfied with a draw than Neil Warnock, who failed to mark his first official game in charge of Leeds with a win. Yet while the point may prove invaluable to Portsmouth as they battle the combined threat of relegation and financial meltdown, results elsewhere meant they still capped another desperately painful week by sinking to second-bottom in the Championship.
Warnock's eyes are trained upwards and after accepting Ken Bates's invitation to succeed Simon Grayson he will have hoped for much more than a solitary point that maintains Leeds's position in 10th, four points off the top six.
The manager's impact in his new job had been immediate, with his unplanned half-time visit to the dressing room at Doncaster last weekend contributing to Leeds's subsequent success in transforming a losing position into a 3-2 victory. That gave the manager the start he wanted but he knows he will have to coax a consistent run of form from his new players if they are to progress from the fringes of the play-off positions and secure a return to the Premier League.
The challenge confronting Appleton could hardly be more different. The Portsmouth manager and his players are working to remain in the Championship and if they succeed, they will have done it despite the 10-point deduction imposed after the club went into administration nine days ago and the climate of uncertainty that now surrounds the club.
Thirty-three members of staff have been made redundant, while other staff – including the players – will be forced to wait for unpaid wages. Trevor Birch, the joint administrator of the club, has warned that even more challenging times lie ahead, using his programme notes to reveal the club could "run out of cash within the next couple of months".
The departure of their leading scorer Erik Huseklepp on loan to Birmingham City last week – a deal driven by the need to cut costs – has added to the sense of gloom.
Appleton's players, however, responded well after yet another difficult week in the club's history, providing an enterprising first-half performance that should have seen them take the lead and force Warnock to reprise his Doncaster team-talk. Joel Ward forced a save from the Leeds keeper Andy Lonergan in the eighth minute and Hayden Mullins twice came close with powerful shots from the edge of the area.
Leeds offered little by way of response but any satisfaction Portsmouth may have drawn from their first-half display was replaced by a feeling of intense frustration at being denied a penalty moments before the interval when the Leeds defender Tom Lees clearly appeared to handle a cross.
The incident might have deflated Portsmouth but Appleton's side quickly shrugged off the disappointment and started the second period as they had ended the first, pressing Leeds back and causing further discomfort for Lonergan.
To Warnock's relief, though, Leeds finally began to find their feet as Portsmouth's exuberance started to fade and the visitors came close to taking the lead in the 54th minute when Ross McCormack drilled a left-foot shot against the underside of the bar; the offside flag saved the home side when Robert Snodgrass headed in the rebound. Three minutes later Leeds were again denied when Stephen Henderson – one of four Pompey players to help out in the ticket office this week – produced an excellent save to deny Luciano Becchio after the striker had run clear of the Portsmouth defence.