Town face an FA Cup third round replay after drawing 2-2 against League Two Portsmouth at Portman Road with Ryan Fraser netting a late equaliser. The Scotland U21 international’s freekick somewhat fortunately beat everyone to find the net in the 88th minute, Tommy Oar having put the Blues in front in the 53rd minute prior to Kyle Bennett and Conor Chaplin hitting back on 55 and 86 to briefly give the League Two side the lead.
Boss Mick McCarthy’s side, which he named publicly on Friday, featured seven changes from the team which drew 0-0 at Burnley last week.
Bartosz Bialkowski was in goal with skipper Luke Chambers at right-back, Jonas Knudsen at left-back and debutant Paul Digby and Piotr Malarczyk - making his first home start - at the centre of the defence.
Cole Skuse was partnered by Luke Hyam in the centre of midfield with Ainsley Maitland-Niles on the right and Oar on the left. Up front, Brett Pitman started alongside former Pompey frontman Luke Varney.
Freddie Sears and Ryan Fraser were amongst the subs, but there was no place on the bench for Jonny Parr, whose move back to Norway and top flight side Strømsgodset we understand could be confirmed as early as Monday.
Portsmouth included ex-Blues Gary Roberts, who skippered Pompey on his first return to Portman Road, and keeper Brian Murphy.
On-loan Blues defender Matt Clarke was ineligible against his parent club, while former Town academy and reserves striker Caolan Lavery, who is also on loan at Fratton Park, hasn’t been given permission to play in the FA Cup by Sheffield Wednesday.
Pompey created the game’s first chance in the fourth minute when Marc McNulty cut inside Malarczyk on the left of the area, but Digby slid across to block as the on-loan Sheffield United frontman was looking to pick his spot past the advancing Bialkowski.
The Blues created their first opening four minutes later. Digby won the ball and then Skuse sent Oar away on the left but the Australian’s shot was blocked.
Moments later, former Blues keeper Murphy was off his line quickly to claim ahead of Varney from a Maitland-Niles through ball.
Portsmouth were having the better of a lively opening spell playing some impressive passing football and on 11 Knudsen did well to help the ball behind as Adam McGurk looked to reach a left-wing Roberts cross at the far post.
The League Two side should have gone in front in the 17th minute when Ben Davies cut the ball back from the right to an unmarked McGurk, who blazed over when he should have at least have hit the target.
Portsmouth continued to have the better of the game and on 20 Enda Stevens crossed from the left and Roberts headed wide.
Two minutes later, Pompey surrendered possession cheaply midway inside their own half but Pitman failed to find Varney with a pass on the edge of the box. On 24 Varney hit a low shot from just inside the box but Murphy claimed easily.
Pompey threatened again in the 32nd minute when Adam Barton sent McNulty away behind what was now a reshuffled Town backline - Digby had switched to right-back with Chambers moving inside and Malarczyk to the left central role - on the right of the box but Bialkowski was equal to his shot.
Varney shot weakly to Murphy on 35, but the visitors were still on top and Bialkowski was forced into another save in the 40th minute. The ball fell to Bennett in space on the edge of the box but the Polish keeper got down to his right to save and push away from the danger area.
Pompey squandered another good chance to go in front in the 44th minute when Roberts scuffed well wide from McNulty’s cutback from the right.
Just prior to the half moving into one minute of injury time Skuse was booked for pulling back McNulty.
The whistle was met by muted boos from the home support after a disappointing first half which had been dominated by the League Two side, who but for a couple of poor finishes would have deservedly been in front.
The much-changed Blues line-up looked like a side which hadn’t played together before, while the visitors passed the ball around slickly and dominated possession.
Town only threatened fleetingly on the break, while Pompey created the period’s only serious chances.
Blues boss McCarthy stuck by his XI at the start of the second half with Town looking livelier in the opening minutes, but without creating a chance until the 52nd minute when Pitman looped a speculative effort over from distance.
But two minutes later Town took the lead. Varney escaped down the right and cut the ball back to Pitman, whose shot was blocked by Murphy. The ball fell to Oar, who took a couple of touches before finding the net to claim his first goal in a Town shirt.
However, the advantage was to last only two minutes with a slick Pompey passing move ending in an equaliser. Roberts found McNulty, who turned the ball on to an untracked Bennett on the left of the box and the former Doncaster midfielder passed the ball into the corner of the net.
Fraser replaced Maitland-Niles in the 59th minute then, after Varney had flicked a cross from the left only just wide of his own goal, Tommy Smith replaced Digby, who had been given a tough introduction to life as a Town player.
The visitors had regained their dominance since their goal and on 66 they went close to going in front, Bialkowski making a sharp save from McNulty from close range at his near post.
For the Blues, Fraser, who had made a difference since being introduced, sent over a low cross from the left but too far in front of Varney.
Pompey switched Adam May for Ben Close and Town Freddie Sears for Varney, who had had his usual all-action game, in the 74th minute.
Two minutes after the changes, McNulty cut in and hit a low shot which Bialkowski - still the busier of the two keepers - saved at his near post. On 77, former Blue Roberts was applauded off by the Town support when replaced by Chaplin.
With 11 minutes of scheduled time remaining Fraser cut the ball back from the left after good work from Sears but Hyam was crowded out.
The Blues began to put the visitors under pressure as the final whistle and the prospect of a replay at Fratton Park in 10 days’ time drew closer.
Fraser forced Murphy to push his shot from 10 yards on the left of the box into the side-netting on 84 and from the resultant corner, Malarczyk’s far post header was blocked. Two minutes later, the Scotland U21 international hit another effort from a tight angle that the one-time Town keeper clutched at the second attempt.
But with three minutes remaining, Pompey took the lead. The Blues backline stood off as Chaplin received the ball from Bennett and took it to the edge of the area before hitting a low shot which beat Bialkowski to his left and nestled in the corner of the net.
A deserved Pompey victory and a cup upset looked on the cards but in the 88th minute Fraser sent over a freekick from the left which beat everyone including keeper Murphy, who was under pressure from Chambers, and found the top corner of the net.
As the game moved into five minutes of injury time McNulty broke into the area but his shot was blocked by Smith, then at the other end Barton was booked for a foul on Fraser. The second Blues’ goalscorer shot straight at Murphy from the freekick.
Deep in injury time Murphy saved Sears’s shot from a tight angle on the right but soon afterwards referee David Coote blew his whistle for the final time and the teams will meet at Fratton Park for a replay a week on Tuesday that Town won’t have wanted.
Having gone in front the Blues really ought to have gone on to secure the victory but the visitors, who impressed throughout, hit back immediately and had they gone on to win the game having taken the lead few would have argued with the result.
Town’s equaliser had more than a touch of good fortune about it, although Fraser and Sears had made a significant difference having come off the bench.
But prior to their involvement it had been a very lacklustre display from the Blues’ fringe players and manager McCarthy is likely to have been disappointed with the overall performance. Nevertheless, the Blues join Pompey in the hat for Monday’s fourth round draw, which takes place from 7pm live on BBC1's The One Show.
Town: Bialkowski, Chambers (c), Malarczyk, Digby (Smith 63), Knudsen, Skuse, Hyam, Maitland-Niles (Fraser 59), Oar, Varney (Sears 74), Pitman. Unused: Gerken, Smith, Bru, Tabb, Kenlock.
Portsmouth: Murphy, Davies, Barton, Webster, Stevens, Hollands (Haunstrup 81), Close (May 74), Roberts (c) (Chaplin 77), McNulty, Bennett, McGurk. Unused: Bass, Boco, Tollitt, Evans. Referee: David Coote (Nottinghamshire). Att: 17,020 (Portsmouth: 2,494).