Sometimes, there are no words to describe a game of football. Yesterday's match was one of those games after Pompey came back from 3-0 and 4-2 deficits with late goals to somehow draw at Gigg Lane.
The only way to summarise the events at Bury yesterday would be to say that it was the worst exhibition of defending I have ever seen in a football match. If Oscar Pistorius had either of these teams defending him on his trial then you may as well hand him ten life sentences now.
The first goal saw Clive Platt flicked on a cross for Hallam Hope to send a looping header over Trevor Carson with nobody marking him. He scored a second late on in the half when more poor defending allowed him to rifle a second past the Pompey keeper with nobody challenging him.
The hosts could have had more during the first half as their through-balls down the channels were carving a sluggish Pompey defence open every time and Danny Mayor tormented the full backs at every given opportunity.
Andy Awford's men did look threatening in the first half when they got the ball out wide too, with Jed Wallace coming close to delivering a ball that would result in a goal but the Bury backline managed to clear it eventually.
The second half started just as badly as the first from a Portsmouth perspective as Mayor yet again was allowed to deliver a cross from the flank and more static defending allowed Andy Procter to easily head in a third goal for the hosts.
Just under 1,500 Pompey fans must have wondered why they had even bothered making the journey to Lancashire but Danny Hollands offered a glimmer of hope when he tapped the ball in from two yards after a long range shot wasn't cleared.
That goal gave the visitors belief and Wallace almost scored twice before Ryan Taylor did find the net with 82 minutes. A long throw wasn't dealt with by the Bury defence which allowed substitute Patrick Agyemang time to set up the big striker.
Any hopes of a comeback looked to have been killed when Mayor again punished some poor defending by sending in a low cross for Hope to beat Bondz N'Gala to the ball for the umpteenth time and complete his hat-trick. He was the first Bury player to achieve such a feat since 1999.
With just two minutes of normal time remaining, Pompey managed to score a third thanks to another long throw. Bury couldn't clear the ball and Sonny Bradley was on hand to poke the ball in and get the travelling fans believing again.
And with the knowledge that their hosts couldn't cope with long throws into the box, Pompey launched another that Bury failed to cope with and the ball dropped to an unmarked Wes Fogden who gratefully put the ball in the back of the net to complete one of the most unlikely comebacks.
Bury had a free kick in the final minute of stoppage time but it came to nothing and the match ended in an incredible 4-4 draw, with Pompey fans wondering how on earth their team had managed to pull off two unlikely comebacks in the same match.
The answer would be that they took advantage of some atrocious defending from simple long throws into the box. It was like the basics of all defending had been forgotten by both teams as Pompey were slack at the back too.
If Andy Awford hadn't convinced everyone that he was the right man for the permanent manager's job before yesterday then surely he would have silenced the majority of the sceptics now?
His team could easily have folded after conceding the third goal yesterday but he has instilled some character into his players which was extremely lacking under Richie Barker.
He has also shown some tactical nous by making changes that worked yesterday, such as taking Ertl off at the break, putting Adam Webster on at right back to move Danny East further forward after he was getting beaten constantly and even playing Bradley as a centre forward in the last twenty minutes to use his aerial advantage against a defence that couldn't cope with long balls into the box.
It's just a shame that this season is now coming to an end now that we're starting to enjoy it. Victory over Plymouth next week would guarantee a top ten finish which seems ridiculous given how the club were in 22nd position a month ago. It all bodes well for next season as long as the right decisions are made during the summer.
On a couple of final notes; yesterday's result was the first 4-4 draw since a 4-4 draw with Barnsley back in 2002. It's also the first time Pompey have come back from 3-0 down to get a result in decades, though if someone could point out exactly when that was then I would be grateful!
And finally, a massive congratulations to all those who completed the Ride2Bury challenge yesterday. A congregation of Pompey fans were at Gigg Lane to welcome them after their long and troublesome hike but it was all worth it in the end for so many reasons.
For all who were there yesterday, this will be a result that they will never forget!
Pompey Player Ratings
Trevor Carson: 6 - Can't be blamed for any of the goals.
Danny East: 4 - Will be having nightmares Mayor.
Bondz N'Gala: 3 - Had a shocker.
Ben Chorley: 5 - Abysmal first half but improved in the second.
Nicky Shorey: 4 - Wingers had the beating of him.
Johnny Ertl: 5 - Offered little protection to his back four.
Danny Hollands: 8 - Always alert and instrumental in Pompey's forward play in second half.
Jed Wallace: 7 - May not have scored but was the constant threat for Pompey.
Wes Fogden: 8 - Never gave up and bagged the equaliser.
Ricky Holmes: 6 - Caused some problems.
Ryan Taylor: 7 - Bury defence struggled to cope with him in the second half.
Substitutes
Phil Smith
Joe Devera
Jack Whatmough
Sonny Bradley (East 78): 7 - A useful emergency centre forward.
Adam Webster (Ertl 46): 5 - Also strugged to contain Bury wingers.
Patrick Agyemang (Holmes 69): 7 - Caused even more problems for Bury's back four.
Jake Jervis