Swansea 2 Portsmouth 2: Neil Allen's verdict - Glass half-full or half-empty, yet heartening signs for Blues
Engulfed by regret, Christian Saydee sank to his knees and buried his head in his hands. Yet there could be no absolution.
Pompey had already surrendered a two-goal lead to claim three points at Swansea - now the substitute had wasted another glorious match-winning opportunity.
With Colby Bishop having already left the pitch, Mark O’Mahony nursing a hip injury following an aborted 12-minute cameo, and Kusini Yengi again occupying the treatment room, scoring responsibility had fallen to Pompey’s number 15.
Yet, as Connor Ogilvie’s 88th-minute left-wing cross fell invitingly into his path, the presence of Harry Darling instead distracted Saydee to steer a first-time right-footed shot well wide.
Agony for a young attacker who, crucially, still lacks the desired cutting edge to complement so many positive attributes to his developing game.
Not that the Blues warranted triumphing at the death. Indeed, John Mousinho later described the 2-2 draw as a ‘hard-earned point gained’, considering the testing second-half circumstances in the visitors’ first match in three weeks.
Had it not been for a stunning early contender for Pompey’s save of the season, conjured up by Nicolas Schmid to thwart Liam Cullen’s first-time shot from eight-yards, Swansea could have capped their stirring fightback with three points. Few would have begrudged them either.
Mousinho’s troops were forced to defend deep after the break, with the occasional foray forward usually led by Callum Lang, primarily to chase balls crashed forward out of desperation rather than attacking design.
Unquestionably, the Swans looked the most likely to grab that decisive third goal, yet found Schmid in irresistible form, while Florian Bianchini produced a miss to rival Saydee’s barely 60 seconds earlier.
Some of the Fratton faithful will insist it was two points dropped considering their side were 2-0 up after 45 minutes. Others will argue it was one point earnt bearing in mind the tough second half they subsequently had to endure.
Regardless of the liquid levels of your metaphorical glass, there remained aspects of Pompey’s performance which offered encouragement amid this likely season-long relegation battle.
Admittedly, they remain bottom of the Championship, cradling just two wins from 17 fixtures in all competitions, but the improved run which began in the second half at Hull continues.
Gone are the League One days of dominating possession and dictating games, no longer do the Blues focus on building steadily from their goalkeeper, probing away for openings.
Instead they have become increasingly pragmatic in attempts at Championship survival, a little more direct, while pressing higher up the pitch though the energy of Lang and Matt Ritchie especially.
The style change has been particularly effective since Hull, coinciding with Matt Ritchie’s introduction to the starting XI, and a point at Swansea, irrespective of at one stage tantalisingly contemplating three, was another fine example.
In a game of two halves, Pompey established a 2-1 lead at the break, before being forced to dig in and defend for almost the entire second half. That was epitomised by Josh Murphy being the star performer in one half - and Schmid the other.
Murphy has been in fine form of late, with three goals in four games, and how he revelled returning to Wales to ram Swansea taunts down the throats of those who brought up his unsuccessful four-year Cardiff spell.
His first-half showing was sublime. From the moment Ben Cabango was yellow carded after tugging him back as he sped by down the left flank, the hosts couldn’t handle him. Well, for the opening 45 minutes anyway.
Pompey’s breakthrough arrived on 25 minutes when, despite having Josh Key against his back, Murphy cleverly spun around and left the right-back in his slipstream.
He then produced a magnificent left-footed cross which was slid home by Ritchie, having arrived to meet it ahead of marker Josh Tymon. A special moment for the 35-year-old too, representing his maiden Blues goal.
The provider then turned scorer in the 45th minute when Murphy chested down Cabango’s poor clearance and attempted to knock it past the defender with his right foot.
Instead the defender flicked the ball off his head into the air, with the Pompey winger continuing his run and meeting it with a controlled left-footed half-volley from the angle, which found the far corner.
It was a sublime finish from the ex-Oxford United man, who savoured the moment by cupping his ears to Swansea supporters as he celebrated a surprise 2-0 lead for the visitors.
However, two minutes into time added-on in the first half, Cullen’s cross came into the Blues’ box from the left and, although Ogilvie was well positioned ahead of Myles Peart-Harris to intercept, he ended up deflecting it past his own keeper to make it 2-1.
Swansea came out strong in the second half and had their leveller on 53 minutes when Peart-Harris’ pull-back from the right was struck first-time into the net by the unmarked Cullen.
It was now about preserving the draw for under-pressure Pompey - that was until Saydee was presented with an improbable winner, which he failed to capitalise on.
Still, a point secured and, just as importantly, more heartening evidence that Mousinho’s men may well have turned a corner.