Portsmouth 0 v 0 Newcastle United Report:
David James' point-blank save denied Michael Owen to salvage a point for Portsmouth, after the south-coast side failed to close in on fifth position.
Newcastle had threatened when Geremi's long-range shot and Mark Viduka's ten-yard volley needed James to save.
Harry Redknapp's side also came close to a goal with second-half chances from both Glen Johnson and Jermain Defoe.
But it was a great save off the face of James that denied Owen from scoring the best of the day's few chances.
It means Portsmouth failed to capitalise on Everton's draw with Brimingham and remain four points behind the Merseysiders in sixth place.
Kevin Keegan had called on his side to avenge their defeat to Portsmouth earlier in the season, and they started with an intensity to suggest they might.
Martins let rip a stinging shot from just past the halfway line within minutes of the kick-off to test James, who squinted and saved in the bright sunshine.
Fellow African Geremi then tested James shortly after, with a free-kick-come-cross from the right side of the area, as Newcastle took an early grip on the game.
The difficult light caused problems again for the cap-wearing James, who rushed out of his area only to completely miss an attempted clearance on the right wing with 14 minutes played.
Portsmouth then snapped into life when Papa Bouba Diop struck a poor shot wide from outside of the area, before Steve Harper was forced to come running from his line to cut off an on-rushing Defoe soon after.
With both sides now settled, the midfields started to cancel each other out, with only half chances falling to Viduka and Nwankwo Kanu.
Viduka then forced a save from James when he volleyed in a ten-yard shot from a corner before Kanu countered by driving a shot into the foot, then onto the arm, of Steven Taylor at the other end.
The second half continued in much the same vein, when the competitive midfield battle temporarily sidelined Diop with a foot injury.
But with Diop back on the field Portsmouth broke when Defoe peeled away from his marker and collected a thirty-yard pass only to shoot wide from inside the area.
Joey Barton then played a slide-rule pass to release Martins in the Portsmouth area, who shot accurately from a narrow angle only for James to save well at the near post.
Johnson and Kanu then combined well 15 minutes after the restart, as the right back broke in from the wing to complete a one-two before flashing his shot over the bar.
Johnson was involved again as Portsmouth broke from a Newcastle corner to release Defoe, who shot to force a strong-armed save from sun-blinded Harper.
Owen then had the chance of the game with 15 minutes remaining.
The diminutive striker shot from five yards after Portsmouth had failed to clear Newcastle's tenth corner of the game, only for James to amazingly steer the ball over the bar as the ball bounced off his face.
Portsmouth had switched off and needed a good save from James minutes later to deny Geremi's bending 20-yard from giving the visitors the lead.
Both teams still pressed for a winner though neither could muster another shot on goal.
:49: In my owen words it sound like it was a good game but we should of got at lest 1 goal but we did not soo
