Sheffield Wednesday 1 Portsmouth 1: Neil Allen's verdict - Man with golden touch does it again after Blues gamble

After all, the forgotten signing had never before graced a Blues match-day squad, let alone granted a debut, despite being purchased for an undisclosed fee during the last transfer window.

Indeed, Ben Killip was in danger of being bracketed alongside Lewis Ward and Ollie Webber in terms of unmemorable goalkeepers of recent times. That’s if you’ve ever heard of them in the first place.

Hopefully the 29-year-old now requires little introduction after finally ending a three-month wait for a maiden appearance with a shock inclusion at Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday.

Having masterminded Pompey’s Championship survival with two games to spare, an empowered John Mousinho viewed the final away trip of the campaign as an opportunity to experiment.

Among the five changes was Killip, improbably dislodging player of the season candidate Nicolas Schmid, with Harvey Blair another notable inclusion for only a second start in Pompey colours during what has been a difficult personal campaign.

Unquestionably, they were bold selection choices, particularly with history weighing heavily on Mousinho’s shoulders when squad rotations against Bristol City, Wycombe and West Brom this season proved disastrous. Then again, this is now a very different Blues side.

With his managerial stock high and Championship presence assured for next term, Mousinho felt comfortable enough to gamble against the Owls. The outcome was a 1-1 draw - with both Killip and Blair enhancing their Pompey reputations. The head coach’s touch is golden at the moment.

Admittedly, the duo’s bar had been set extremely low, nonetheless both deserve credit for their Hillsborough displays - and also injecting a bit of interest into a dead rubber of a match otherwise devoid of talking points.

Not that anyone should be complaining over a game with absolutely nothing riding on it. Better that than being one of the eight clubs below the Blues scrambling for their Championship future on Saturday.

Mousinho’s men are now mere onlookers, rubbernecking at the carnage elsewhere. As it was, Cardiff were the first to fall through the trapdoor, with Plymouth next in line, albeit only a mathematical miracle can now save them.

In contrast, Pompey ventured to the Owls accompanied by Spiderman, Mario, Luigi, Wario and a traffic cone, as some supporters dressed up for the occasion of the last match on the road this season.

Not that the home following were in any mood for a party, with ongoing protests over chaotic chairman Dejphon Chansiri taking the form of a 1,000-strong march to the stadium before kick-off and releasing yellow and black balloons in the stadium.

Certainly those with long memories of Pompey persuasion will have every sympathy for the Owls, having experienced something similar 12 years ago before fan ownership intervened.

That backdrop created a curious atmosphere at Hillsborough, with barely a murmur from disgruntled Wednesday supporters, with the travelling faithful contributing all the noise during proceedings.

‘Raggett for England’

There was even a stroll down memory lane, with classic chants revisited such as Benjani’s ‘Zimbwabe’, ‘We’ve got Gary Roberts’ and ‘Raggett for England’, all rolled out during the second half.

Fittingly, there was also the Jamal Lowe ‘Gold’ tune, with the winger also present at the ground, albeit sat in the stands having been omitted from Wednesday’s squad for the clash with his former club.

And to add to the strangeness of the fixture, a much-changed Pompey made it successive away games without defeat by claiming a 1-1 draw. Considering their wretched form outside of Fratton Park, that also represents progress.

It means the Blues cannot now finish lower than 18th - and could end up as high as 14th heading into the final match of the season against Hull next weekend.

Handed recalls alongside Killip and Blair were Terry Devlin, Andre Dozzell and Conor Shaughnessy, with Schmid, Matt Ritchie and Regan Poole dropping to the bench. Jordan Williams (hamstring) and Adil Aouchiche (broken hand) were absent through injury.

Admittedly, the changes were nowhere near as dangerous as previous instances, with Devlin, Dozzell and Shaughnessy hardly on the levels of Sammy Silvera and Owen Moxon.

And, impressively, this team with nothing to play for having already accomplished their goal earned a point. What’s more, they did so coming from behind.

With nine minutes on the clock, Stuart Armstrong’s shanked shot fell kindly to Callum Paterson, whose half-volley into the ground bounced off the underside of the far and found the net to make it 1-0.

It suggested a long afternoon could be in store for the Blues, yet, on 23 minutes, Isaac Hayden fed Josh Murphy down the left and he produced a wonderful cross which was finished right footed at the far post by Blair.

It was a lovely moment for the youngster, who has badly struggled to make an impact after moving from Liverpool last summer, yet now had his maiden senior goal having been trusted with a rare first-team start.

And that was it, the culmination of 90 minutes plus seven add-on as the match petered out into a 1-1 draw. Not that anyone was particularly bothered.

A surprisingly positive result for Pompey in the circumstances, yet perhaps we are underestimating them. Having now established themselves as a genuine Championship side, there is every reason to be encouraged about their evolution this season - and the future.

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