Having beaten Wolves and Crystal Palace in their previous two League games, Port Vale slumped back to their bad habits with a 2-0 defeat at home to lowly Portsmouth.
In injury time Gareth Ainsworth produced Vale's best chance with a rising drive tipped over for a corner by Aaron Flahavan as Portsmouth escaped with their first away win of the season.
The second half began in a mirror image of a poor first with Peter Beadle nodding back for Vale's Stewart Talbot to send in his 46th minute shot which edged over the cross-bar.
On 51 minutes, Simon Barker the former QPR star, swept his 51st minute shot just off target after Tony Naylor had carved out the opening.
A minute later Portsmouth took a surprise lead in their first real attack of the period.
Sammy Igoe's corner on the right was headed on by Steve Claridge and as Vale's keeper Paul Musselwhite came off his line for an attempted punch, John Aloisi nipped in for a header which gave the Aussie International his 10th goal of the season.
For a spell Pompey looked the better side cheered on by the incessant chants of Alan Ball's army of fans in the stand. Ainsworth, who had a quiet afternoon, confronted by Fitzroy Simpson, was only inches wide of the target with a fierce drive on 72 minutes.
Two minutes later Beadle's freekick after he had been bundled over on the edge of the area, cannoned off the defensive wall to safety. When Ainsworth did break down the right, 15 minutes from the end, his pass failed to find one of the three Vale attackers in the penalty area.
Substitute Wayne Corden breathed life into the Vale attack in the final quarter but his deft cross was back headed by Naylor but again Vale strikers failed to connect.
Striker Beadle was booked for an 81st minute foul on Geoff Peron which left the Pompey player limping off, to be replaced on 83 minutes by Steve Soley.
Pompey had a let off on 86 minutes when Beadle's freekick was spilled by Flahavan but Russell Perrett cleared.
On 89 minutes substitute John Durnin, who had been on the field just over a minute, waltzed through the Vale rearguard to hammer in Pompey's second, beating Paul Musselwhite at his near post.
The first period had been a stagnant affair with few clear cut chances at either end. Ainsworth, Vale's highly prized winger, carved out a first minute opening before running out of play having out-paced three defenders.
Ainsworth, who appeared to be destined for Leeds in a £1million closed-season move, has this week been linked with a £1.5million move to another Premiership club.
Wimbledon are reported to be the latest bidders, a move denied by Vale's manager John Rudge.
Portsmouth's Sammy Igoe and Aloisi caught the eye in Pompey's rare attacks, while Ainsworth, Beadle, Naylor and Allen Tankard went closest for the home side.