West Brom 1-1 Portsmouth: Peter Crouch strike keeps Baggies bottom

West Brom do not have a shirt sponsor - but perhaps a toilet manufacturer would be appropriate.

Last season's Championship winners remain stuck to the bottom of the Premier League.

And the Midlands club's hopes of survival are already in grave danger of going down the drain before Christmas.

When the Baggies were last relegated in 2006 they had 16 points after 16 games but they only have 12 now.

Albion's struggles must be particularly hard for their fans to stomach after seeing the success both Hull and Stoke are enjoying following promotion.

West Brom boss Tony Mowbray naively claimed he would not settle for 17th after going up.

And the complacent club even turned down the council's offer of an open-top bus parade to celebrate winning the title because they claimed they belong in the top flight.

Such bold proclamations appear foolish now and, with little money to spend in January after blowing £20million in the summer, there is faint hope of bigname reinforcements.

Yesterday after Peter Crouch had cancelled out Jonathan Greening's opener, Albion were fortunate to draw when Scott Carson almost made another howler.

The hosts continue to play a slick passing game espoused by Mowbray, but at what cost?

Pompey, on the back of Thursday's UEFA Cup exit in Wolfsburg, were there for the beating at The Hawthorns.

Yet despite dominating the first half, shot-shy Albion, who have scored only 12 times this term, failed to capitalise on their dominance.

And time is surely running out for them to save their season and Mowbray his job.

"It was a frustrating day for us," said Mowbray, whose side have not won for nine games.

"We didn't get a second goal so it was always going to be edgy.

"We didn't have enough quality in the final third. We have to turn our steady decent performances into more points.

"It is an opportunity lost because we want to win our home games."

Albion started well as skipper Greening volleyed over from outside the area.

And Greening then played in Scottish international midfielder James Morrison, who crashed a low right-foot shot just past the post.

The Baggies should have taken the lead in the 25th minute when Greening found Ishmael Miller, who put Chris Brunt clean through.

But Brunt curled a left-foot shot agonisingly wide with David James beaten.

Albion dominated the opening 30 minutes but Pompey were almost gifted an opener when Carson's clearance was volleyed wide by Crouch with the keeper beaten.

Mowbray's men enjoyed some good fortune when Sol Campbell was harshly penalised for a foul on Miller on the edge of the area.

And when Brunt's fierce freekick rattled the bar, Greening was quickest to react to prod in his first goal this season from six yards in the 39th minute.

It was no more than Albion deserved and Pompey boss Tony Adams responded by replacing the ineffective Nadir Belhadj at the break with Glen Little.

But the hosts continued on the offensive and Miller forced James into action in the 50th minute.

Yet Pompey equalised in the 58th minute thanks to a brilliant long-range effort from Crouch, who crashed a right-foot shot in off the bar. Albion still threatened as Miller thumped a left-foot shot wide on 65 minutes.

But the striker was later carried off with a knee injury after Mowbray had hauled off record £5.5m summer signing Borja Valero, from Real Mallorca, following another ineffective display.

Pompey full-back Glen Johnson missed a good chance - and was then almost handed a bizarre winner in the 82nd minute when keeper Carson appeared to fumble his looping cross over the line.

Yet referee Mike Dean judged otherwise and Adams had to settle for a point, which will do little to impress prospective owners of the club following Alexandre Gaydamak's admission he is looking for an investor.

Mowbray added: "We believe Miller has a medial knee-ligament injury and will be out for a minimum of six weeks.

"We are looking at the loan market but it is hard to get a Premier League striker for free."

MAN OF THE MATCH: Jonathan Greening (WBA) - Never stopped trying to inspire the Baggies

VILLAIN OF THE MATCH: Borja Valero (WBA) - The lightweight midfielder is still to find his feet in the Prem

NEXT THREE GAMES

WEST BROM
Saturday: Sunderland (a) Prem
Sun Dec 21: Man City (h) Prem
Fri Dec 26: Chelsea (a) Prem

PORTSMOUTH
Sunday: Newcastle (h) Prem
Wed Dec 17: Heerenveen (h) UEFA C
Sat Dec 20: Bolton (a) Prem

West Brom: Carson 6, Zuiverloon 6, Meite 6, Olsson 6, Robinson 6, Morrison 7, Valero 4 (Bednar 67, 5), Greening 7, Koren 6, Brunt 5, Miller 5 (Moore 76). Goal: Greening 39.

Portsmouth: James 6, Johnson 7, Campbell 6, Distin 6, Pamarot 6, Davis 6, Diop 6, Belhadj 4 (Little 46, 5), Kranjcar 6, Defoe 6, Crouch 6 (Kanu 90). Goal: Crouch 58.

Referee: Mike Dean

Get your hands on this week's estimated jackpot of £100,000 by playing the New Football Pools .

Find out what our resident Premier League fan bloggers think - and let them know your views.

Follow every Premier League game live with our brilliant Match Tracker .