A ten-man Town reserves side were unlucky not to come away with all three points from a referee-affected home clash with Portsmouth, the game ending 0-0. Referee Darren Deadman turned the game into a card-extravaganza, booking seven and harshly dismissing Town keeper Lewis Price just after half-time.
The first period was a disappointing affair when compared to the reserves' last two games, which the Blues won 5-1 and 6-1 respectively.
Town striker Alun Armstrong lasted only 23 minutes before being replaced by Sam Morrow, suffering with what appeared to be a back problem.
Chances were few and far between, Martin Reuser blazing the best opportunity over the bar from eight yards out after marauding run in from the right by Dean Bowditch.
Referee Deadman's main contribution to the first half was a booking for sub Sam Morrow when he had clearly been fouled, a decision which particularly unimpressed Martijn Reuser.
However, that was nothing when compared to the derision which greeted Deadman's first major decision of the second half.
Former Town loanee Mark Burchill chased a ball forward to the edge of the Blues' area where he played it past the on-rushing Lewis Price, who attempted to kick clear. Burchill took the ball away from Price and the keeper sending him sprawling just outside the box.
Burchill had clearly been going away from goal when he was fouled by Price and John McGreal and others were behind the Town stopper, however Mr Deadman couldn't decline the opportunity of showing a red card, and sent the 19-year-old for an early bath.
Young Irish keeper Shane Supple replaced him between the sticks for his reserves debut, and immediately tipped a dangerous Lee Bradbury freekick away.
The reduction in numbers seemed to spur on Town, and particularly the previously anonymous Reuser. Bowditch was particularly dangerous on the break, although Town had a lucky escape when Burchill headed over when unmarked close in.
Sam Morrow went just wide before Reuser hit a 25-yarder off the bar, Bowditch just failing to get on to the rebound.
Bowditch and Barron continued to run at the visitors' defence and in the last ten minutes Reuser twice came close to spectacular winners. The first was from 35 yards, a well-struck effort which Pavel Srnicek in the Pompey goal plucked out of the air.
The second saw the Dutchman catch a defender in possession and spot Srnicek off his line. His 45-yard dipping effort just went wide of the Czech keeper's goal.
In the last minute Bowditch struck a shot just over the bar but the goal just wouldn't come. Had the game lasted another ten minutes or so, one of Town's strikes would surely have gone in.
A good second half performance in very difficult circumstances from Town's largely young reserves side. Referee Deadman clearly felt he was the main attraction, turning the game into a bit of a farce with his constant bookings for innocuous or non-existent fouls.
It wasn't that it was a dirty game, perhaps only two tackles warranted yellow cards — Gary Silk's late tackle on Matt Bloomfield and Carl Pettifer's second half elbow on Martijn Reuser — the second of which he missed.
Deadman's record this season suggests this wasn't an untypical performance, his four conference games so far this season yielding 21 yellow and two red cards.
John McGreal seemed to come through the game OK, apart from a yellow card, while Armstrong's early departure will come as a blow to the striker ahead of a possible chance of first team involvement on Saturday against Sheffield United.
Martijn Reuser showed more form in the second half than he has for some time and was unlucky not to score at least one trademark goal.
Dean Bowditch was again impressive as were Matt Bloomfield in midfield and Scott Barron at left-back. Young Irish keeper Shane Supple, making his first appearance for the reserves, looked confident, handled comfortably and distributed the ball well during his time on the field.
Reserves: Price, Hogg, Barron, Mitchell, McGreal, Collins, Bloomfield, Abidallah (Supple 48), Armstrong (Morrow 23), Bowditch, Reuser.