Pompey ended a run of five straight away defeats yesterday with a 1-1 draw at Cheltenham.
It wasn't a great game of football with chances at a premium. Andy Awford decided to make changes and set his side out to pack the midfield in a 4-5-1 formation with Ryan Taylor up front on his own. The biggest news was that Ben Chorley was dropped altogether following the debacle against Accrington.
The Robins scored on the stroke of half-time with an individual effort from Omari Sterling-James. The defending was poor as he skipped a couple of weak challenges before firing the ball past Paul Jones.
Pompey fans must have been fearing the worst given their team's awful scoring record away from home so it was a good time early in the second half for Nigel Atangana to score his first goal for the club.
Jack Whatmough ran down the pitch unchallenged and gave the ball to the Frenchman who beautifully curled it off the underside off the crossbar for the equaliser.
Chances were at a premium but Lee Holmes almost nicked all three points for Pompey only to be denied by the outstretched hand of Trevor Carson.
So a draw stops the rot away from home and although it's not a brilliant result, it's a point that most Pompey fans would probably have taken before the match was played. Fans who were at Whaddon Road yesterday suggested that Awford didn't go for the kill after the equaliser but given the pressure he is under and the run his team were on away from home, it's understandable to play it cautiously.
It's a result to build on but it's crucial that Pompey win their Boxing Day game with AFC Wimbledon not just for the points but to keep the fans on side ahead of what looks like a difficult trip to Luton on Sunday.