How a worrying streak extended for Portsmouth following Cheltenham Town draw

Before the draw with the Robins, the Blues had failed to gain a single victory from a losing position in all competitions this season - after drawing two and losing nine of the 12 matches where they’d fallen behind.

And the record was extended against Michael Duff’s side, after Pompey failed to overcome Lewis Freestone’s sixth-minute opener.

Reeco Hackett atoned for his error in the lead-up to the defender’s strike by netting the equaliser 25 minutes later.

But the Blues had plenty of opportunities to end the winless streak after dominating large parts of the second half.

For all of Pompey’s endeavour they failed to carve out any clear-cut opportunities as they mostly flattered to deceive, but the narrative came close to altering when the ball fell to Ronan Curtis late on.

However, the Republic of Ireland international blazed into the Fratton End from inside the box, as Danny Cowley’s side had to settle for a point.

Perhaps the club’s inability to alter the outcomes of matches from losing positions is also what’s preventing them from pushing up the league table.

In comparison to high-flying Plymouth Argyle, the Blues have gained 10 less points than the Pilgrims from losing positions as Ryan Lowe’s side have won and drawn three out of the seven games in which they’ve faced deficits.

As a result of this, the leadership and confidence within the Pompey ranks have been called into question this season.

In defeats to MK Dons and Burton, in particular, a number of heads appeared to drop after the ball found its way past Gavin Bazunu.

A combination of individual mistakes and positional naivety let Cowley down on those occasions, and he will no doubt be disheartened by how much wind is leaving his players’ sails once encountering adversity in matches.