Report by Ben Davis

A rare goal from defender Andy Thomson rescued Pompey from a third successive defeat after Birmingham's Dele Adebola had put them in front seven minutes from time. Thomson struck in the very last minute to save the blues and not only did it save what would have been a disastrous 100th birthday party, but it may well be crucial in Pompey's battle against relegation. After the game a demonstration was staged out side the ground as fans vented their anger towards chairman Martin Gregory.
Alan Ball made two changes from the side which lost to Wolves with Martin Allen making a starting appearance in place of the injured David Hillier. The other change saw John Durnin in the first team with Hall right out of the team. There was a new face on the bench as Robbie Simpson made his first appearance for the club. Birmingham were without former Manchester United defender Steve Bruce so Darren Purse took his place.
Before the game 12 former Pompey players came onto the pitch to see the fans. From the 1930s there was Tommy Rowe and Bert Barlow, from the 40s Phil Rookes and Len Phillips, from the 50s Johny Gordon and Mike Barnard, from the 60s Albert McCann and Ray Hiron, from the 70s Billy Wilson and Colin Garwood, and from the 80s Peter Ellis and Vince Hilaire.
Pompey put their visitors under pressure early on when Bennett had to scramble a poor back-pass by Ablett away to safety. Simpson though picked that up his curling effort had to be tipped over by the keeper. Birmingham though cleared the corner and made their way up the other end. A cross by Bass was met by Adebola but fired over with Thomson putting the dangerous striker under pressure.
John Aloisi was then brought down right on the edge of the area and it gave Simpson the opportunity to put Pompey in front. The shot cannoned off the bar and flew just over Bennett's cross-bar. Flahavan though was called into action when he got down to save a Hughes effort from 30-yards as the game moved at pace from one end to the other.
On 25 minutes Pompey went close to taking the lead when from a Robinson cross McLoughlin dived in to head just wide. Bennett then made a fine save a minute later when he flicked over Aloisi's well hit volley after good work from Robinson and Durnin. Yet Birmingham went the closest to taking the lead in the 34th minute when from a McCarthy cross Adebola's header was tipped onto the underside of the cross-bar by Flahavan.
The game continued to move quickly and Pompey might well have gone in front had it not been for some alert goalkeeping by Bennett. Allen's 25-yarder was a hopeful one, but it was one which took a deflection. Bennett managed to claw it away and grab the lose ball as Aloisi moved in. At the other end Flahavan made a great save when he used his legs to keep out a deflected shot by Hughes.
Birmingham manager Trevor Francis must have thought his side had to take the lead right after half-time. Ndlovu latched onto Adebola's flick on and despite shooting tamely it eluded everyone and Hughes had an open goal in front of him. Somehow though he hit the outside of the post and it went wide. The visitors were now beginning to look like a side pushing for a play-off place with Adebola and Ndlovu causing the Pompey defence no end of problems.
The crowd sensed their side needed a lift and so the volume around the ground increased with "Alan Ball's Blue and White Army" flowing out from the stands. What the Birmingham fans though of it we'll never know but they almost saw Allen score an amazing goal on 52 minutes. The midfielder crashed the ball forward from the half-way line and Bennett only realised at the last minute that it was going towards the goal.
Pompey's defence was once again doing a commanding job although there were times when they had to bail each other out for individual errors. Alan Ball made a double change mid-way though the half with Robbie Simpson and Mathias Svensson coming on for their striking counterparts Aloisi and Durnin. The chances though had dried up with both defences dominant.
A mistake though by Bass could have resulted in Pompey taking the lead. Svensson typically put his man under pressure and the defender looped the ball over Bennett's head but the keeper got back and put it behind. The visitors then suffered some bad luck when their substitute Grainger fell awkwardly and had a suspected broken ankle. Forster came on and with seven minutes left Birmingham took the lead. Chris Marsden chipped in a cross from the fight and Adebola was there to head past Flahavan.
The fans thought that was it and had Flahavan not saved well from Forster it would have been all over. Those who left though missed Pompey grab an equaliser in the last minute. Simpson's corner was poorly dealt with and Thomson poked the ball in and was duly mobbed by his team-mates.
Pompey though are back in the relegation zone although it is far to close to say who is definitely going down. The next few games against relegation threatened teams are essential to survival where a win would boost Pompey's chances of playing first division football next season.