David Moyes is happy with away clean sheet

Dec 3 2007 by Nick Smith, Liverpool Daily Post

DAVID MOYES was happy with his side’s second clean sheet on their travels in the Premier League this season.

But following the 7-1 savaging of Sunderland a week earlier, the Everton manager was frustrated that his team couldn’t keep their attacking momentum going.

“I’m pleased with the defensive side of the game today,” said Moyes. “The two centre-halves were excellent and the goalkeeper was excellent so from that point of view it was pleasing.

“But last week it was all about goals so it was probably a certainty that we wouldn’t get one this week.”

Although Moyes named an unchanged line-up from seven days ago, with Yakubu in his own up front against his former club, Everton struggled break the hosts down.

They only looked like putting in a sustained threat when they reverted to two up front late on with Andrew Johnson joining Yakubu, who later made way for Victor Anichebe.

But the physical presence of Portsmouth, coupled with some torrential rainfall, blunted Everton as an attacking force.

“I think the conditions didn’t help,” added Moyes. “The wind was near gale force in the first half and Portsmouth are a big, strong, powerful side so it may have helped them a little more than it helped us.

“They’re such a big side and give you problems with their stature. We wanted to get the ball down and try and play, but we only did that on a couple of occasions and when we did we made the wrong choice.

“I wasn’t pleased with what we were seeing and I wanted to change and in the second half I thought we started to have a bit of a go and look as if we were as liable to score as maybe Portsmouth were.”

Portsmouth manager Harry Redknapp is aware of the perils of following up seven-goal hauls, however.

Since they beat Reading 7-4 in September all three of their home games in the league have finished goalless.

NEVILLE DEFENDS REDKNAPP – SEE PAGE 12