Portsmouth use the ball well through Andy Cannon into the Hull half, and he lays off to Marcus Harness, whose shot is blocked.

Feel the burn from that one.

Hull attack, Pompey draw back the numbers.

They've played this one brilliantly in terms of decision making - when to attack and when to sit.

Keane Lewis-Potter dances toward the edge of the box, left side for Hull and after rolling the ball under his boot curls a peach of a ball into the back-post.

Mallik Wilks chases it but his outstretched leg is not able to connect. That was the kind of ball in that deserves better.

Keane Lewis-Potter makes lipreaders of us all with his response to a crossfield sailing over his head.

Now here's Mallik Wilks, teases the full-back but Cameron Pring stubs behind for Portsmouth.

Hull corner.

Telling touch. Andy Cannon blocks off a little slide rule pass from a drifting Josh Emmanuel. Hull have the numbers but the move is stemmed.

He and Tom Naylor have been like doorman anchoring the midfield. "Not tonight, lads", everytime Hull try to sneak in.

Pompey force the issue. Ronan Curtis just coaxes a curling cross inswinging to the far-post and Jacob Greaves heads behind.

Sean Raggett attacks the corresponding corner but heads into Josh Magennis and it's another corner.

The ball in is pumped away.

Hull's desperation shows as a direct ball into the channel for Mallik Wilks is shepherded by the Pompey defence, stepping up to catch him offside.

Portsmouth are appealing every possible decision be it foul, or handball, or offside, with all the zeal of an aggressive Aussie slip-cordon in an Ashes Test.

They got one too. Handball against Greg Doherty after a riccochet.

Hull have brought Tom Eaves on for Regan Slater, a proper target-man.

Fizzer through a crowd by Regan Slater sees Craig MacGillivray beat the ball away. Nice play by Hull.

Pompey get it away...

Credit to Ronan Curtis for the ball in as it was a real tester, but how Hull didn't get the ball away I don't know.

As it stands, we've still scarcely had any genuine chances, if any, no shots on target, and yet one team has a two-goal lead.

Utterly bizarre.

Tackles continue to snap in, pleas for free-kicks echo screechily around the KCOM from both sides and no-one can really make the ball work at the present.

Pompey sit in, Sean Raggett heads away a Keane Lewis-Potter centre with ease. Hull's approach is to pepper the box but it's meat and drink for the big centre-halves.

Have you ever seen the clip of QPR versus Man City from the early years of the Premier League? Basically an exhibition of poor touches, anti-football and dreadful play.

We've just had similar on the back of some brilliance from Josh Emmanuel who wriggled his way into the box, but then the attempts to clear and the shot on goal from the two teams was barely worthy of mention.

Better from Keane Lewis-Potter on the back of that, but his shot is still cleared by the Pompey defence.

Lively from the hosts though.

Right. Here we go.

Hull making a change. Can Keane Lewis-Potter deliver the magic of his little namesake Harry? He's on off the bench.

As someone who thoroughly dislikes the wizard books, I'm ashamed of that one.

Anyway, we're off and Hull are in possession.

Image source, Rex Features

A win here for Pompey and they could well be top at Christmas.

Forty-five minutes await us for the final outcome.

There was a momentum shift partway through the first-half, with Portsmouth dominating after going ahead through that contentious own goal by Jacob Greaves.

Then Hull finally got their grip on things, with the main threats coming from wide areas. Mallik Wilks on the right has been cutting in and letting shots off, while the delivery from Callum Elder on the left has been teasing.

Some chances would be nice though.

The two keepers have had a bit of housekeeping to do in terms of set-pieces and the like but in terms of actually saving anything... well, the stats tell their own story.

No shots on target in the whole 45 plus one minutes. Crackers.

Not a game blessed by chances but fairly entertaining fare otherwise.

The one goal, headed into his own net by Jacob Greaves, had a hint of controversy about it. Did Sean Raggett catch him with a high boot? Looked like it.

Portsmouth had some decent chances, Hull grew into it. I think we'll get a good second-half on that evidence.

Image source, Rex Features

One minute of added time.

It's a frustrated looking Grant McCann, absent-mindedly flicking his tongue, in the Hull dug-out.

Stubborn work down the left by Hull earns a corner, Callum Elder holding off Callum Johnson and forcing the tackle.

Ryan Williams hacks away the set-piece but Hull sling it forward again and Sean Raggett clears behind.

Regan Slater goes short to Callum Elder and it's cleared again.

Another corner. The clearance by Portsmouth skews wildly towards goal but it's eventually dealt with. Phew.

Hull sweep in a corner and Ryan Williams stabs it behind.

Regan Slater gets another bite of the cherry, curls in from the left but the header from James Scott sails wide.

What you'd call a "50p head" in the playground, there.