Report by Ben Davis

When John Durnin replaced top scorer John Aloisi in the 73rd minute everyone would have thought Alan Ball had settled for a draw as Durnin isn't exactly an out and out striker which would threaten defenders late on in a game. Yet he popped up in the right place seconds into injury time to snatch victory and it was one Pompey needed with other results going against them.
Alan Ball stuck with the side which battled out a draw with Bury, although Paul Hall and Mathias Svensson were dropped from the bench with John Durnin and Fitzroy Simpson taking their places. There was a dreadful strong wind blowing around the ground with the huge contingent of Pompey fans getting the worst of it in the uncovered away end. The Swindon fans on the other hand looked as though they had carried out their planed boycott of the game protesting about increased ticket prices.
There was clear evidence that the wind would play a vital part in the game as a Flahavan goal-kick barley reached the half-way line, so it was important for both teams to get the ball on the ground and play a passing game. The first attacking threat came from Swindon when they won a dangerous free-kick 25-yards out after Whitbread had fouled Cuervo. Walters sensed a chance to open the scoring but fired a shot way over the bar into the Pompey fans.
In the 10th minute Pompey had a massive scare with a horrible bit of bad luck. Flahavan tried to usher the ball out for a goal kick but it hit the corner flag and fell to Cowe, who had put the keeper under pressure. Fortunately Flahavan got back to prevent the Swindon striker scoring into an unguarded net. Two minutes later Pompey created their best opening. Hillier found Aloisi whose angled pass was latched on to by Claridge but he watched in horror as he dragged a left footed effort way wide of Talia's goal.
Claridge was causing the Swindon defence problems moments later when he picked up possession on the right and found Vlachos 25-yards out. The Greek's shot had the power but not the accuracy as it went straight at Talia. A mix up between Talia and Borrows almost let in Pethick in the 15th minute but there were enough covering defenders to clear the danger.
Andy Awford had to put a Cowe cross behind for a corner after he had beaten Robinson, who had slipped, down the right. Walters swung over the corner which Taylor headed straight at Flahavan. Gooden was then booked for a foul on Aloisi before Whitbread almost scored an extraordinary own goal. Gooden whipped over a cross from the left which Whitbread looked to head back to Flahavan but it got caught in the wind and blew towards the bottom right hand corner. Flahavan flew down to make a brilliant save to rescue his captain from embarrassment.
On 27 minutes Hillier tried his luck from 30-yards and wasn't too far away as his shot whistled over Talia's bar. Pompey were looking the better side at this stage but the football was still scrappy with neither side coping too well with the wind. Aloisi thought he was in from a Claridge pass in the 30th minute but Gooden made a fine tackle to turn the ball behind for a corner which Aloisi headed wide.
Gooden fired another shot high over before some good skill by Cowe won Swindon a corner which resulted in Mark Robinson heading just over. In the 38th minute Cuervo was in down the right and luckily for Pompey his pull back missed the Swindon strikers in the box. Matt Robinson was then booked for a foul on his namesake Mark Robinson. That saw Walters shooting over again.
Pompey were lucky to not be behind seconds before the break when Mark Robinson's low cross in the box beat Flahavan and somehow Cowe managed to miss an open goal.
Before the game the Swindon fans had planned to invade the pitch at half-time in protest at the club's ticket pricing policy which had clearly made a lot of their fans very angry. Stewards lined the front of the South Stand and in the end there was no pitch invasion. Back on the pitch and Swindon's most threatening player Walters, who was getting a lot of stick from the Pompey fans for his Southampton connections, had a shot well saved by Flahavan.
Pompey's first attack of the half came when Robinson played a clever ball down the left for Claridge whose cross-come-shot missed Aloisi in the middle of the box and wide of Talia's goal. In the 64th minute the home fans and players appealed for a penalty when Matt Robinson brought down Collins in the area but referee Mr Leach waved away the protests to Pompey's relief.
It seemed both sides were content on long range shooting as in the space of two minutes each side got in a threatening one. First Swindon's Scott Leitch was denied by Flahavan from 25-yards before Talia needed to make a brilliant save at the other end. Claridge's hustling and bustling won him a free-kick 30-yards out which McLoughlin rolled to Pethick and the wing-back's great effort was flicked over by the keeper.
Alan Ball then made a surprising change with 17 minutes to go as Durnin came on for Aloisi. Ball had obviously hoped the fans favourite would inject new impetus to the side which was battling away in a dire match. Matt Robinson was working hard down the left although he will be disappointed that on two occasions he got free, his crosses were too deep and missed everyone in the box.
Swindon stepped up a gear by winning a couple of corners but they were finding Pompey's defence too tough to crack. Ever since Ball has returned the defence which has looked woeful this season has improved greatly. That has been one of the main factors behind Pompey's excellent recent form.
Once again the Blue Army was singing non stop despite the horrendous conditions with rain being blown into their faces by the driving wind. With the game moving into stoppage time they were rewarded for their support as Pompey snatch all three points. McLoughlin played a quick free-kick to Pethick out on the right. He had acres of space in front of him and his cross fell to Durnin who got the ball down and placed the ball into the net off the far post. That sent the fans behind the goal berserk. The final whistle went seconds later and the players surged over to the fans where they both celebrated victory.