Live: Portsmouth v Bristol City

Welcome to the Bristol Evening Post's first live blog! Refresh your page every couple of minutes for the latest news from Fratton Park as Bristol City take on Portsmouth in the FA Cup third round.

4:52pm: Full time. Bristol City have earned a replay at Ashton Gate on January 13. They deserved it and could have had the scalp of Pompey had Bradley Orr's header been six inches south. Portsmouth had their reasons to rue a draw though. Davis and Kranjcar drew the very best out of City keeper Adriano Basso in a hectic second half which saw the match treble in tempo and noise, but the side from the South West held the FA Cup holders to a draw and maintain an unbeaten FA Cup record against their Premier League opponents.

4:51pm: James has one clean sheet in his last 16 but looks likely to gain a second although City now have one last roll of the dice, finally breaking out of their half before Distin again steps in.

4:50pm: Pompey are encamped in City's half. Campbell and Distin lob in the long balls but Johnson's men are marshalled well and are holding on. They just have to hold on for three minutes of added time now.

4:47pm: Orr, McCombe, Carey and Fontaine are earning their money holding off Nugent and Crouch. Orr even gets his body on the line to block a screamer from Kranjcar.

4:45pm: City are being pressed back and Lee Johnson is virtually operating as a second right-back at times. McAllister has slotted in at left midfield ahead of Fontaine. The Robins are holding on having defended corner after corner.

4:42pm: Pompey sub. Cranie off. Noe Pamarot on. And for City, Styvar's debut comes to a close with Jamie McAllister running on in his place.

4:40pm: Somehow the match has remained 0-0 with 10 minutes left to play. Either side could steal it as gaps open and legs tire. Bristol City defend another corner and clear to spark another assault on the Pompey half.

4:35pm: Dele Adebola is turning back the years and almost outpaced Distin, forcing a mistake which saw the ball run to the debut boy Styvar who let fly from 20-yards only to see David James get down in time and, at the second attempt, gather the ball.

4:34pm: Sean Davis unleashes a fine volley from 20-yards after a cross from Kranjcar. Well held by Basso. Who must be freezing.

4:33pm: Adebola is creating havoc and only a masterclass from Campbell and Distin is keeping City from taking a deserved lead.

4:29pm: The Liverpudlian full-back rises, heads, and only the finger tips of David James keep the game goalless.

4:29pm: The roles are reversed and Adebola whips in a cross from City's left which finds Orr unmarked at the back post five yards out.

4:28pm: Orr plays a long ball up to Adebola who does what he does best, brings it down, holds it up and lays it off to Cole Skuse who almost troubles the corner flag with his shot. It was well worked though and big Dele's strength is telling already.

4:24pm: Sub for City. Sproule off. Gavin Williams on.

4:20pm: Sub for City. Adebola, with seven FA Cup goals to his name throughout his career, is coming on for Stern John.

4:19pm: Another penalty appeal as Distin floats in a free kick and Carey battles with Crouch to clear. No hand ball.

4:18pm: David Nugent, invisible in the first half, pops up on the right, runs at Fontaine and slips the ball across the box to the outstretched limbs of Crouch who can't qite get enough on the ball to trouble Basso.

4:17pm: Confirmed attendance of 14,446 as Pompey win a corner and force Fontaine into a lashed clearance which bolted towards his own goal and was only stopped by Skuse. Marvin Elliott is back in action after a head injury scare.

4:15pm: City's support of 3,500 are literally rocking the stadium, abusing the Pompey supporters' vocal ccontributions and doing their best to unsettle James who now keeps goal in front of them.

4:11pm: It could be 2-1! It's still 0-0. Kranjcar, somehow, heads wide from six yards after a deft chip from Crouch before Sproule scampers down the other end to test James. Back at the City sharp end Basso, the only man wearing short sleeves in the ground, makes a sharp save from Kranjcar who finally found the target.

4:10pm: End to end start to the second half as the sun goes down, the lights go on and the entertainment recommences in earnest.

4:04pm: Pompey re-emerge to the sounds of a bizarre sea-shanty jingle. City to raucous cheers from the away end.

City have kept the Pompey faithful quiet by more than containing their Premier League opponents. David James is yet to make a save of note although Ivan Sproule could have buried a quick Lee Johnson freekick to give the Robins a first-half lead.

Tony Adams' Portsmouth have made Basso work, Sol Campbell testing the Brazilian with a header and Kranjcar keeping him on his toes with a pair of long-range raspers. But the gulf of 20 league places between the two sides is yet to show and City are in with a shout of doing more than forcing a replay.

3:48pm: Half time. Portsmouth 0 Bristol City 0.

3:45pm: Now its the turn of Portsmouth, Cranie again getting the better of Fontaine on Pompey's right flank before Mr Bristol City, captain Louis Carey, mops up once more.

3:44pm: Johnson free-kick flicked on by Elliott on the edge of the 18-yard box but cleared by Distin.

3:43pm: Elliott is bossing Mvuemba in the center of the pitch as City look increasingly threatening in the run-in to half time.

3:42pm: Belhadj leaves his foot in on wantaway City full-back Bradley Orr and earns a yellow card.

3:40pm: Are the Pompey fans supporting Adams? asks Chas, Whitchurch. While the game is level they are. Had Sproule buried his effort we might see some half-time cat calls. Rumours in the ground are that Jermaine Defoe (who called in sick yesterday) is undergoing a medical at Tottenham.

3:36pm: City living dangerously as Pompey centre-back Slyvain Distin is allowed to waltz into the penalty area and forces Basso into a smart save before Kranjcar goes down theatrically in the box attempting to turn in the rebound. Referee Phil Dowd laughs off the Pompey appeals, helped by 3,000 travelling City fans behind the goal.

3:35pm: Belhadj could benefit from a breather for the next few minutes though as Sproule appears to be struggling with a knock to the ankle from the challenge by Campbell.

3:33pm: Sproule is causing some concern for Portsmouth left-back Nadir Belhadj.

3:30pm: Quick and clever free-kick from little Lee Johnson found Sproule behind the Pompey defence. The crowd rose, the Pompey defence were caught sleeping, but Sproule fired wide under challenge from man-mountain Campbell. Appeals for a penalty turned down.

3:28pm: Gary Johnson has the crowd cheering - running onto the pitch to pass the ball back to Basso for a freekick. The fourth official is less amused.

3:27pm: City are allowing Pompey into the game and Cranie enjoyed the freedom of the right flank before whipping in a dangerous ball headed for the head of towering centre-forward Peter Crouch at the far post. But fortunately the England international heads it wide.

3:26pm: Another long shot from Croatian international Kranjcar which pops up in front of Basso but is comfortabaly taken.

3:20pm: Styvar proves his strength, battling well with Pompey right-back Martin Cranie and feeding Johnson whose through ball is just too long for on loan striker Stern John, preferred today ahead of Dele Aebola who warms the City bench.

3:18pm: Pompey manager Tony Adams gets animated as Stern John and Sean Davis tangle and have some afters. City boss Gary Johnson steps forward and tells him to calm down. John is booked for his reaction to Davis' challenge.

3:17pm: Corner to Portsmouth cleared from the near post by Carey.

3:14pm: City have never lost at Fratton Park in the FA Cup and Ivan Sproule gave them the opportunity to take the lead with a rasping shsot just over the bar after good work in midfield.

3:10pm: Niko Kranjcar lets fly the first shot of substance in the match just wide of Adriano Basso's left-hand post.

3:05pm: A scrappy start sees Bristol City matching Pompey in midfield, Marvin Elliott, Johnson and Skuse putting in the tackles.

3:02: Hesitation from Lee Johnson gifts the chance to Arnold Mvuemba to surge forward but Louis Carey stubs out the danger.

3:01pm: Martin Cranie piles into Cole Skuse by way of a quick hello after Portsmouth give away the ball from kick off.

3:00pm: Pompey kick off their FA Cup defence.

2:57pm: The teams walk out and line up.

2:55pm: Brian Wilson (shin), Lee Trundle (tonsils), Nicky Maynard (calf) and Michael McIndoe (leg) miss out but Peter Styvar, who only completed his signing for the club from MSK Zilina last night is cleared to play and starts on the left.

2:45pm: Team news.

Portsmouth: James, Belhadj, Campbell, Distin, Cranie; Kranjcar, Davis, Mvuemba, Wilson, Nugent; Crouch. Subs: Begovic (GK), Lauren, Hreidarsson, Pamarot, Little, Kanu, Traore.

Bristol City: Basso, Fontaine, Carey, McCombe, Orr; Johnson, Elliott, Skuse; Styvar, John, Sproule. Subs: Henderson (GK), McAllister, Noble, Adebola, Williams, Akinde.