Sean Davis was sent-off in the second-half as Portsmouth and Aston Villa played out a goalless draw.

More Stories

• Matchcast: Aston Villa v Portsmouth
• Match Gallery

The home side put relentless pressure on the Pompey goal after the dismissal of Davis for a second bookable challenge ten minutes from time, but failed to make the breakthrough.

This match was an opportunity for both these aspiring sides to show what they're all about after Villa's disappointing surrender at Chelsea in their last league match and Portsmouth's 6-0 humiliation at the City of Manchester Stadium in their last away outing.

Martin O'Neill dropped both his regular full-backs, Luke Young and Nicky Shorey, to the bench, and brought in summer signings Carlos Cuellar and James Milner to his starting XI. Villa's re-jigged line-up saw Cuellar play at right-back and Gareth Barry switch to left-back with Milner playing in midfield.

It was Portsmouth who made the first opening as Glen Little teased a cross towards Peter Crouch from the right with just four minutes gone. The England striker seemed certain to head the ball in for an early goal, but a vital touch by Villa defender Curtis Davies deflected the ball away. The ball then fell for Davis in the box but the midfielder shot tamely and Villa keeper Brad Fridel saved comfortably.

Villa took control of the first half thereafter, and with quarter of an hour gone they had a gilt-edged opportunity to take the lead. The chance fell to Davies, up from the back for a free-kick that Barry pumped into the box. Villa skipper Martin Laursen headed the ball on in the box, creating an opening for Davies, but the defender walloped his shot well over the bar from five yards out.

On the half-hour mark Portsmouth had a glorious opening as Armand Traore crashed a powerful shot on to the upright and then Jermain Defoe fired wildly over the bar with the goal at his mercy.

Traore must have thought he had scored when, after being teed up by Defoe on the left of the box, he connected beautifully with a left-footed drive towards the near post. The ball hit the post and then cannoned off Friedel's back towards the goal line, only for Davies to desperately clear. The defender skewed his clearance, and the ball sat up nicely for Defoe with the goal gaping and Friedel prone on the floor. But the striker made a mess of the chance, scissor-kicking the ball into row Z of the Holte End.

That chance came against the run of play as Villa won a flurry of corners and free-kicks in the Portsmouth half. That pattern continued in the second-half, but Villa, usually so effective at set-pieces, wasted cross after cross.

Villa's players became increasingly frustrated with themselves, no one more so than Ashley Young, who was booked for dissent midway through the second-half.

Villa's domination grew still further after Davis's dismissal for a second yellow handed out after the midfielder tugged back Stilian Petrov.

John Carew came closest to finally converting one of Villa's chances with a looping header from a Young cross in the last minute but the Norwegian's effort bounced off the Pompey bar and out.

The focus switched to the sidelines in injury time as the linesman appeared to be hit by an object thrown from the crowd. The official was able to run the line for the final moments after receiving medical attention, however, as Portsmouth held on to secure a draw.