Fulham snatch 1-0 victory over Portsmouth

Feb 4, 2010 - 4:05 PM By ALEX CROOK STATS European Football Writer=

LONDON (SE) - Avram Grant again refused to rule out stepping down as Portsmouth manager after the Premier League crisis club were beaten 1-0 at Fulham on Wednesday.

Jonathan Greening's first Fulham goal condemned the south coast outfit to their 16th defeat of a miserable season.

Grant's future at Fratton Park has been in doubt since goalkeeper Asmir Begovic and defender Younes Kaboul were sold behind his back.

Former Chelsea boss Grant said: "I am not the subject. I am not the issue. The issue is the club and the fans.

"The fans are great and it is a city that belongs to the club and a club that belongs to the city. The future of the club is what is important.

"It does not matter about my future, the club is more important."

Portsmouth have failed to pay their players on time four times in the last five months and face being wound up over an unpaid tax bill of 11 million pounds later this month.

Despite their off field woes the visitors created a host of chances in the first half and were unlucky not to go into the interval with the lead.

Frederic Piquionne was denied in bizarre circumstances by Fulham goalkeeper Mark Schwarzer when his pile-driver was kept out by the Australian's backside.

Ghana midfielder Kevin Prince Boateng also volleyed into the side netting as Pompey dominated the opening exchanges.

Fulham debutant Stefano Okaka made an instant impression for all the wrong reasons.

Okaka, on loan from Italian giants Roma, produced a contender for miss of the season when he somehow managed to head wide from two yards after Greening had flicked on Danny Murphy's centre.

Midfielder Jamie O'Hara's shot high over the crossbar on the stroke of half time summed up Portsmouth's wastefulness in front of goal.

Grant's side were made to pay for their poor finishing when Greening broke the deadlock in the 74th minute, netting against Pompey for the third match in succession.

Damien Duff broke down the right and his cross was missed by the offside Bobby Zamora before Greening, who scored home and away for West Brom against Pompey last season, calmly side-footed home at the back post.

Portsmouth now face a daunting trip to champions Manchester United on Saturday.

Grant, whose side lost 2-0 at Manchester City last weekend, added: "It is very difficult because in the last two games, especially tonight, we dominated and created a lot of chances.

"From one mistake we lost the game. It is very frustrating because we are not playing like a team bottom of the league; we are playing like we deserve to be much higher.

"We need to learn to take our chances. If we scored today 30 per cent of our chances we would win.

"The boys worked hard and played very well but we need to put the ball in the goal."

Relieved Fulham manager Roy Hodgson added: "It is a fairly fortunate victory because we never got going in the first half and were lucky to come in at 0-0.

"It was a good performance from Portsmouth and Avram will be devastated to get nothing from the game."