Portsmouth denied maiden Championship success against Oxford United as record winless start continues

The U’s midfielder cancelled out Mark O’Mahony’s quality header in the 1-1 draw, after Elias Sorensen’s early penalty miss.

There were chances at both ends in an open game, with Connor Ogilvie hitting the woodwork as the Blues turned up the heat on the visitors in search of the decisive goal.

But the finish wouldn’t arrive as Pompey’s failed to return three points from an occasion John Mousinho branded a ‘must-win game’ after the mid-week Stoke debacle.

It should have been the perfect start for Pompey, as the lively Christian Saydee pestered Will Vaulks into handling the ball in the box. It was a weak penalty from Elias Sorensen, however, and Jamie Cumming saved easily to his left.

Mark Harris was the well placed from a cross from the right, but made a hash of his effort and kicked the ball against his own leg and out for a goal kick.

There was a 19th-minute let-off as Ciaran Brown opened up Pompey’s defence with an angled cross, but Ruben Rodrigues couldn’t fire his shot on target.

Josh Murphy responded with a deflected 20 yarder, before Nicolas Schmid denied Idris El Mizouni a certain goal with a fingertip save after the Oxford man got clear with a fortunate ricochet.

Rodrigues then couldn’t get a decent connection on his shot after Regan Poole uncharacteristically lost the ball on the byline, with Pompey’s positive tempo petering out before the break.

Peter Kioso made a fine sliding block eight minutes after the restart, as Saydee got behind the Oxford defence from Murphy’s ball and tried to pick out the on-rushing O’Mahony.

The breakthrough came in the 58th minute - thanks to a brilliant striker’s run across the defender from O’Mahony.

It was a lesson to any aspiring front man as the Irish teenager got across Brown and delivered a pinpoint header into the far corner from Murphy’s ball in.

That upped the volume with the Blues turning up the pressure on the visitors and Fratton rocking.

But it was the visitors who levelled with 18 minutes left as Connor Ogilvie lost the ball and it cannoned through to sub Louis Sibley, who advanced through a gaping hole in the middle and fired home from the edge of the box.

Pompey then somehow failed to score through a triple chance as Saydee and Sorensen’s efforts were saved and Brown cleared O’Mahony’s drive off the line.

Then Ogilvie’s header came off the post and was very close to crossing the line from a corner, but the ref played on.

Chances were coming at both ends and sub Siriki Dembele streaked clear but Williams did well to get back as he fired wide.

Then Murphy’s deflected shot was goalbound until Cumming turned the ball around the post.

Ogilvie’s header looped just over in stoppage time, but the goal wouldn’t come as the longest winless start to a season since the war continued.