Fellow strugglers Hull and Portsmouth settled for a point apiece from a dismal Barclays Premier League goalless draw on Saturday.

Chances were few and far between as both sides struggled for inspiration at the KC Stadium.

The best opening fell to bottom side Pompey just after the hour as Aruna Dindane and Hassan Yebda were denied by Boaz Myhill.

Hull manager Phil Brown had hoped to hand Jimmy Bullard a home debut after his return from a nine month lay-off as a substitute in Monday's defeat at Fulham. But the 31-year-old's failure to even make the bench suggested he had suffered a setback in his recovery from major knee surgery.

Hull's frustration, after winning just three times in the whole of 2009, was summed up as a camera caught goalkeeper Boaz Myhill involved in a heated exchange with a team-mate at half-time.

The visitors almost almost caught Hull inside the first minute when Tommy Smith outpaced Kamil Zayatte but the former Watford forward dragged his shot across goal.

Geovanni curled a free-kick over as Hull responded while a later set-piece from Stephen Hunt wrong-footed everyone in the box except goalkeeper David James.

Dean Marney fired narrowly over for Hull, and in one of few enterprising pieces of play, Seyi Olofinjana clipped a clever ball into the Pompey area which was just out of Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink's reach.

The best chance fell to Dindane just after the hour when he hit a crisp shot but Myhill saved.

Nicky Barmby, who also came off the bench, had a chance late on but James easily claimed his header.