We’ve got to get back to that he said adding that his players were becoming anxious to do well scared of making

We’ve got to get back to that,” he said, adding that his players were becoming “anxious to do well, scared of making mistakes.”Improving Portsmouth, by contrast, did not look in the slightest uncomfortable even after losing their raw centre-back Russell Perrett, dismissed for a rash tackle on James Connor, and the experienced Paul Walsh and John Durnin to injury before the second half started. “Sorry, mate, no speakie the footie,” as they also seem to say in Zampa Road. Rarely did he receive a pass when or where he wanted it, and he was reduced to clasping his head in his hands (often as the ball sailed by 10 feet above it) in a gesture suggesting he thought he had been banished to the frozen wastelands. Even his cross- shot that led to Jason van Blerk’s goal was the result of his ability to make the best of a bad job.If Alex Rae had not had to interrupt a run of fine form to sit out a suspension, he could have helped on both fronts. The Scot knows an incisive run when he sees one and can produce a pass to match, and he no doubt also has some handy turns of phrase that Yuran could use on his less perceptive team-mates. Vassili Kulkov would also have benefited from having someone else in midfield who could have stepped back from the hectic whirl.Mick McCarthy, Millwall’s manager, put it all down to anxiety born of desperation to win a game again at a palatial home ground that is beginning to burden his players like a bad debt “We had great home form when the stadium first opened.

Never mind learning the local lingo, he has clearly not yet opened meaningful dialogue with the players around him in the international language that is the beautiful game. However, on this evidence Pompey, denied a move on environmental grounds, will be glad to carry on playing at their old familiar Fratton Park home once it has undergone the Bionic Plan (they can rebuild it), and are better off with the goal-scoring kid from Ashford. At least 19- year-old Burton achieved what was expected of him, equalising with a beautiful curling 20-yarder, and has team-mates who know how to help him.Poor Sergei Yuran must have spent the weekend reassuring himself that he had indeed headed west out of Moscow and not the other way into isolation in Siberia. No one, their own followers included, will like them, and then the fans really won’t care.A goal 16 minutes from time by the most effective player on show, Deon Burton, not only gave Portsmouth a point they deserved for a heroic performance that saw them dominate despite playing with 10 men for over an hour, but also left Millwall without a home win in the Endsleigh League First Division since 11 November.On the face of it, Portsmouth were in for a miserable Saturday, being reminded of all the things they cannot have, from a brand new stadium to kings of the international game flown in from the east bearing impressive gifts. MARK BURTON

Millwall 1 Portsmouth 1
As they say down at the Den these days, Nikto nas ne lyubit. Many more performances like this and the Millwall chant, in English or the Russian of the latest dockland imports, will assume a literal meaning.

Substitute not used: Kearton (gk).Port Vale (4-4-2): Musselwhite; Hill (Bogie, h-t), Griffiths, Aspin, Tankard; McCarthy, Porter, Walker, Guppy; Naylor, Foyle. Substitutes not used: Mills, Van Heusden.Referee: M Reed (Birmingham).Bookings: Everton: Short, Ebbrell; Port Vale: Griffiths, Bogie.Man of the match: McCarthy.Attendance: 33,168.. “At least it will keep the chairman happy with a a few more pennies in the bank.” If Vale and Everton play like they did at Goodison, the chairman can look forward to being ecstatic.Goals: Amokachi (39) 1-0; Foyle (58) 1-1; Ferguson (88) 2-1; Bogie (89) 2-2.Everton (3-5-2): Southall; Watson, Short, Ablett (Hinchcliffe, 61); Kanchelskis, Horne, Parkinson, Ebbrell, Stuart; Ferguson, Amokachi (Limpar, 61). Ian Bogie tried a speculative shot from 25 yards, the ball took a deflection and the Potteries could look forward to a replay.”We’ll give it a go,” John Rudge, the Port Vale manager, said. But if any competition was the role model for every coach’s maxim, “it’s not over until it’s over”, it is the FA Cup and there remained a final twist.Paradoxically, having eschewed the normal underdog’s modus operandi of kick and run for 89 minutes, it was a reversion to the old hit-it-and- hope tactic beloved of Davids everywhere that did it for Vale.

An Everton supporter as a boy, he cost Vale pounds 1,000 when he was bought from Rhyl three years ago, yet he all but suppressed an opponent who cost 4,000 times more.”If that’s Duncan Ferguson when he’d not fully fit,” the 25-year-old centre-back said modestly afterwards, “then I wouldn’t like to face him when he’s fit.” Ferguson was probably thinking something on the lines of “If that’s Gareth Griffiths when he’s inexperienced….”Griffiths, as much as anyone, would not have deserved the defeat that appeared to be Vale’s lot when Ferguson profited from Paul Musselwhite’s horrible mistake with two minutes remaining. The home tactic was to hoof the ball towards Duncan Ferguson and hope for a good bounce off his head.The fact that there were very few was credit to Gareth Griffiths who could epitomise what makes the competition special. Ebbrell just got back on the line in time, however, to clear.If either shot had gone in Everton would almost certainly have been out because there was little in the rest of their game to suggest any great pool of invention to swamp a First Division team who look far better than their 19th place suggests. As it was Jon McCarthy and Steve Guppy caused havoc to Everton’s 3-5-2 formation, dragging Barry Horne and Joe Parkinson from midfield, so Royle had to change tactics altogether by bringing on Andy Hinchcliffe and Anders Limpar.It was McCarthy who caused the initial damage, and Vale could have been two goals ahead after five minutes.