Pompey manager Harry Redknapp backed Iain Dowie as the right man to turn around troubled Crystal Palace after watching the newly-promoted side condemned to their fourth straight Premiership defeat.

Palace would seem a terminal case having managed just a point against Norwich so far and on Saturday evening they scarcely deserved to take anything at Fratton Park.

Dowie admitted it was his side's worst performance of the season but called for a "positive response" from players he did not want to see "moping around".

Redknapp kept Portsmouth in the Premiership last season and knows just what needs to be done at Palace, though whether the ship can be turned around is another question.

"It's a massive gulf and it's all about having the players good enough to stay up," said Redknapp.

"'Iain has brought a few faces in but they have to settle. He has brought in Nicola Ventola and the centre-back Gonzalo Sorondo from Inter Milan and you need these players to bed in quickly.

"'They will work hard every week because Iain Dowie won't stand for anything less than 100% effort.

"We started well last year and that great start gave us momentum and carried us when we had bad spell in the middle of the season.

"Iain has got to guard against the confidence going. But the transfer window is closed and you have got to get on with what you have got.

"No-one will work harder than Iain Dowie but they need that win. A little luck can change their season."

There was precious little of that on show, though Dowie again admitted Palace could hardly feel robbed after managing just three shots on goal all match.

Ricardo Fuller, the former Palace striker, scored his first goal for the club since joining from Preston just 170 seconds into the game.

Palace struggled to retain any form of possession and although Portsmouth's midfield of Eyal Berkovic, Patrik Berger, Steve Stone and Nigel Quashie profited, they could not not fashion a second goal.

And Pompey were stung just before the interval when Danny Granville headed an equaliser.

But once again Palace started slowly and Berger's rifled effort in the 48th minute might even have gone wide had the diving Julian Speroni not deflected it inside his post.

If that was one example of ill-fortune, there were others to follow.

Andy Johnson had a goal ruled out for a narrow offside - a decision Dowie labelled as "dubious" - and then had a penalty saved by the diving Shaka Hislop that would have also taken the score to 2-2.

"That was the turning point for us, although even if it had gone in we would have won," said Stone.

"We all owe Shaka £100 out of our match fee - but not the lot because there are school fees to paid around this time of year!"

Palace captain Tony Popovic wrapped up the points for Portsmouth with another own goal as he flicked Stone's cross into his own net.

Dowie had a chat with Redknapp and has taken pointers from the way his old boss at West Ham has secured Portsmouth as a competitive Premiership side.

"I am a great believer in managing a club from the bottom up, making sure the academy is right," said Dowie. "I want to leave a legacy in place. Whenever I leave this club, whether it is in 10 years, 20 years or six months, I want people to say I made a difference."

That departure might be sooner rather than later if reports are to be believed that Dowie is on the shortlist to take over at Blackburn.

Dowie's family still live in the north, after his time at Oldham, but he refused to comment on the speculation.