It might have been very different if the linesman hadn't wrongly disallowed Frederic Piquionne's first goal for offside but the bottom line is that Pompey managed to turn a half-time lead into a defeat against ten men despite dominating large periods of the second half.
The fact that we were so comfortable for the majority of the game and still managed to lose is just one of the many reasons why Pompey will be relegated if they can survive the winding-up order on March 1st.
Another reason is that we just can't keep a clean sheet and haven't done so since the 2-0 win against Liverpool. Our vulnerability from set-pieces was there for all to see when Huth was unmarked in the box had a free header to get the equaliser from a corner.
That came despite a first half where our defence dealt with all of the Delap long throws and the attack showed signs of promise, especially the lively Quincy and Piquionne who should have had two goals to his name before being withdrawn at the break.
But it all went to pot in the second half as it took just five minutes for Stoke to equalise after Stoke equalised and then Pompey reject Salif Diao slid in Fuller's cross in stoppage time when Pompey had been exposed on the counter-attack, searching for the winner.
The fact that Andy Wilkinson was sent off for two bookable offences and Pompey couldn't take advantage just makes this defeat even harder to stomach, especially as Fuller might have also been punished for his "challenge" on O'Hara.
Like many of our other home games, we did not deserve to lose this one on the balance of play but with strikers who lack cutting edge and are afraid to shoot coupled with a midfield that , O'Hara excepted, lacks quality, we failed to make the most of all the possession we had and ended up paying the ultimate price.
We have a squad that is mediocre at best but I refuse to blame the players for our predicament because they are always willing to give their all, and I don't blame Avram Grant for the defeat yesterday as he knew a draw was no good and we had to throw on five forwards to try and win the game late on.
The finger of blame will be pointed in the direction of Peter Storrie, who once again claims we're on the verge of being taken over.
Again, I refuse to believe that until I see it. If new owners are to come in, whoever they may be, need to cleanse this club of all of the figures that are the root of the pain we have suffered recently.
For this club to see better days it needs to cut all ties with Gaydamak, Al-Fahim, Al-Faraj, Chainrai and any of the other shady characters in the background. I'd also suggest getting rid of Storrie because he has to be responsible for overseeing the worst finanical period I have ever seen at the club, and yet he gets paid over £1 million a year to do it!
If it takes administration to purge those responsible of our demise from the club then so be it. Yesterday's loss means the 9 point penalty is irrelevant because we're relegation certainties anyway.
However, the most saddening thing about yesterday's defeat isn't that it has effectively cost Portsmouth their Premier League status. It's that the last memory of this great football club's last match at Fratton Park may well be Salif Diao, of all people, sliding in a stoppage time winner at the Milton End.
Pompey Player Ratings
David James: 6 - No chance with either goal.
Steve Finnan: 6 - Supported attack well.
Marc Wilson: 5 - Could be singled out for criticism.
Hermann Hreidarsson: 6 - Solid for the most part.
Nadir Belhadj: 6 - Got forward but left us exposed at the back.
Papa Bouba Diop: 5 - Dosn't show much strength for sucha big man.
Hassan Yebda: 6 - Passing was hit and miss.
Jamie O'Hara: 7 - Threatening at times.
Quincy Owusu-Abeyie: 7 - Very lively, caused some problems for Stoke's defence.
Aruna Dindane: 5 - Shot shy.
Frederic Piquionne: 7 - Should have had two goals, not one.
Substitutes
Jamie Ashdown
Ricardo Rocha
Hayden Mullins
Angelos Basinas
Kanu (Piquionne 45): 6 - Orchestrated second-half attacks.
John Utaka (Yebda 66): 5 - No impact.
Danny Webber (Finnan 86): N/A - No time to make a difference.