Portsmouth 1 Gillingham 0

GILLINGHAM manager Stan Ternent believes his side are the latest to be robbed by a linesman's error after the FA Cup defeat at Portsmouth.

Tottenham's goal that never was at Old Trafford last week brought assistant referees into the spotlight and Ternent was left moaning the offside flag that never was after Saturday's third round clash at Fratton Park.

Ternent was furious that Yakubu was not given offside for his 49th minute goal, with the Nigerian striker stood almost on the goaline when he turned the ball into an empty net.

The Gills boss said: "He was offside. I don't know how he can't be interfering with play when he's stood on the goalline. If he scores a goal he has to be interfering.

"But it wasn't offside, I suppose, because the linesman didn't give it – just like the linesman didn't give a goal at Manchester United."

Offside or not, the goal was little more than Portsmouth deserved after controlling most of the match.

Pompey started the brighter of the two teams and the match was only three minutes old when the impressive Patrik Berger carved open the Gills defence with a ball of the highest quality.

Ayegbeni Yakubu latched on to the pass and looked certain to score before Steve Banks rushed out to deny him.

Two minutes later and the Nigerian striker was causing problems again, colliding with Barry Ashby and putting the big defender out of action with an arm injury.

In the 21st minutes Berger exchanged passes with Yakubu before hitting a shot off the inside of the post with Banks beaten.

But Gillingham were posing a threat, too, and Darius Henderson got off a 25-yard shot that Jamie Ashdown did well to tip over.

If Gills could have taken the lead through Henderson then they should have done through Andy Hessenthaler on 23 minutes.

Matt Bodkin has been waiting for years since joining Nottingham Forest as a teenager to get a taste of first team action and he showed what he could do when he outpaced Andy Griffin down the left.

The Medway-born winger then cut inside and delivered a superb ball with the outside of his boot into the path of Hessenthaler. But the former Gills boss could only sidefoot the ball straight at Ashdown and then failed to bury the rebound.

At half time, the Portsmouth players were obviously on the wrong end of a tongue-lashing.

Within seconds of the restart, Diomansy Kamara beat Ian Cox to the byline only for his fierce pullback to hit Yakubu and bounce just wide.

A goal was in the air and it came in the 49th minute when Berger got in behind the defence and cut the ball across to Yakubu.

The Nigerian saw his shot saved well by Banks but Griffin turned the rebound back into his path and he was able to smash the ball home for his 11th goal of the season.

Gillingham's defenders all raised an arm to appeal for offside but no flag came and, from that moment on, it seemed the chance had gone for the visitors.

Iwan Roberts was brought on to replace Bodkin as Gills went for the more direct approach in a bid to force an equaliser and a replay. But one off-target header from the big Welshman was the total of his impact.

The final whistle ended Gills FA Cup run at the first hurdle and, despite the doubt over Yakubu's goal, the best team had gone through.

Gillingham: Banks, Southall, Ashby (Hope 8), Cox, Rose (Beckwith 90), Bodkin (Roberts 67), Hessenthaler, Smith, Crofts, Byfield, Henderson. Subs Not Used: Bossu, L. Johnson.

Attendance: 14, 252.