Report by Ben Davis

Aaron Flahavan must dread playing against Swindon. Back on Boxing Day 1996 he gifted Swindon a win at Fratton whilst earlier this season he mysteriously collapsed during the match. However, this latest Swindon encounter was overshadowed when Flahavan was stretchered off unconscious with a broken nose, collar bone and cheekbone after a horrific clash with Swindon's Iffy Onuora. Russell Perrett went in goal and when the half-time score read 3-1 to Swindon it looked as though there was no way back until Claridge and Peron struck in the second half to salvage a point.
Flahavan had replaced the departed Andy Petterson who was back with Charlton after his loan spell ended. Fitzroy Simpson returned at his regular left wing-back berth with Robinson moving back over to the right. In midfield Sammy Igoe returned after injury. Thomas Thorgersen dropped to the subs bench. It was almost like a home game for Pompey with visiting fans seated at both ends of the ground
The first chance fell to Swindon in the second minute when from Davis's pull back Flahavan saved from Hay. The home side were creating the better of the chances, but Pompey's defence was coping comfortably with early pressure. Yet Pompey might have taken the lead in the 12th minute. Peron skipped past Howe down the left before put in a cross which Claridge turned just wide.
An error by Flahavan might have resulted in Swindon scoring when his clearance fell straight to Onuora 30-yards out, but the striker's effort was weak. Amazingly Andy Awford might have scored a few minutes later for Pompey. The defender has only scored once in his entire career so when he was two yards out with the ball dropping to him a second looked on. However, the ball bounced off his shin and the chance went.
The deadlock was broken in the 31st minute when Swindon took the lead. Ndah charged into the box from the left and his shot was spilled by Flahavan to Hay who made no mistake from a couple of yards. Then minutes later Flahavan was flat out on the ground after a bruising aerial challenge with Onuora. The ref crazily let play to continue for a while until he realised the keeper was in serious trouble. Both sets of supporters gave sympathetic applause as Flahavan was stretchered off. The question was, who was going to take over in goal? In came big defender Russell Perrett.
Within a minute Swindon had doubled their score. Ndah caused some more trouble before finding Hay on the left. He cut inside to curl a neat shot beyond Perrett who was always struggling to get close to it. It seemed the ground was opening up and Pompey were slipping right into it. That was until the 44th minute when they pulled a goal back. Howe's back pass was awful and Claridge was onto it in a flash to slide the ball past Talia.
Howe though was the creator for Swindon's third deep into added on time. He raced away down the right before putting in a cross which Onuora headed down past Perrett. Hay even might have had a hat-trick had it not been for Perrett's flying save to keep the striker's shot out.
What ever Ball said to his troops during the break, it was working. Whittingham may have done better when he fired wide after swapping passes with Claridge. Vlachos thought his header from a corner was destined for the net until Hall rose to clear the effort off the line. Another chance fell to Robinson whose shot just inside the area hit the side netting.
The chances were coming, but sadly the score line stayed the same and Swindon began to get going again. The threats were averted and the Pompey players were furious when referee Chris Hoy turned down a great goal scoring advantage. Whitbread was fouled on the edge of the area by Onuora, but the ball ran through to Claridge and Whittingham, both onside, but instead the ref blew the play back for a free kick.
Simpson had a great chance to score against his old club when from a deflected Robinson cross the ball fell nicely to him. He fluffed his shot though and the ball trickled wide. Mr Hoy then waved away appeals for a penalty when Peron was shoved by Mark Robinson in the area.
With still no change in the score line Ball threw on Thorgersen and Nightingale for Simpson and Igoe. It seemed to pay off as two minutes later Pompey pulled a goal back. McLoughlin worked some space down the left to deliver a cross which Whittingham looked destined to put away for his third goal since arriving from Sheff Wed. Talia though pushed his shot onto the bar, but Claridge was on hand to head in.
Suddenly Pompey's players saw their chance and in the 76th minute Peron scored the goal of the match. He picked up the ball on the left just inside Swindon's half before charging forward and smashing a brilliant shot past Talia from 20-yards.
Was a winner there as well? In fact if anyone was going to get a winner it was Swindon who pilled on the pressure in the final stages. Having done nothing for the entire half Perrett was confident enough to deal with the threat Swindon posed. Pompey though were thankful to McLoughlin and Robinson who both had to clear off the line in separateincidents.
Ball said afterwards that he was proud of his players and that some of them were upset by the challenge by Onuora on Flahavan who was taken to hospital. The game was dedicated to the keeper. It just hasn't been poor old Flavs season, at least Knight can postpone that retirement party which looked certain after the Leeds cup game.