Pompey may have extended their unbeaten run to three matches but the winless run on the road continues after a dour goalless draw with Dagenham.
Andy Awford named an unchanged side that started brightly, but the game soon turned into a sloppy affair with defences on top and balls flying out of the stadium due to hoofed clearances and wayward shots.
The best chance of the half, and probably the game, for Pompey came when Joe Devera flicked Danny Hollands' long throw to the near post but goalkeeper Mark Cousins caught it. That was as good as it got for the visitors apart from a late penalty shout after a supposed foul on Matt Tubbs in the box.
The home side's best attempt came in the second half when Andre Boucaud's strike from distance sailed wide of the post, but this was a match where both goalkeepers may as well have taken the day off.
Credit must go to the Pompey defence which were organised and never really gave Jamie Cureton a sniff at goal. They did the basics well, even if that meant lumping the ball into the stands more often than not.
The same couldn't be said for Pompey's attacking players. Jed Wallace in particular seems to have gone off the boil in recent matches and his decision making and passing were poor last night. Ryan Taylor's hold up play was half-decent but his reluctance to shoot is frustrating whilst Matt Tubbs couldn't do anything with the long balls which were being easily dealt with by Dagenham's two huge centre halves.
The result isn't a bad one, although Pompey remain just five points clear of the drop albeit with an important game in hand at home to Tranmere upcoming.
However, if you go to a football match to be entertained then Pompey aren't the team to watch right now. Lack of quality and defensive formations make for dire games which may see Pompey pick up enough points to avoid relegation, but not a lot else.
Pompey Player Ratings
Paul Jones: 6 - One minor spill that amounted to nothing but untested otherwise.
Josh Passley: 7 - Looks a decent find. Got forward when he could.
Joe Devera: 7 - Another solid performance.
Paul Robinson: 7 - Won nearly everything.
Jack Whatmough: 7 - Getting better.
Dan Butler: 7 - Some good deliveries.
James Dunne: 6 - Battled away as usual.
Danny Hollands: 6 - Made a few important challenges.
Jed Wallace: 4 - Has lost his way a bit.
Ryan Taylor: 7 - Hold up play was good.
Matt Tubbs: 5 - Not in the game.
Substitutes
Michael Poke
Adam Webster
Johnny Ertl
Nigel Atangana (Wallace 66): 5 - Didn't change the game.
Andy Barcham
Conor Chaplin
Craig Westcarr (Tubbs 87): N/A - Given no time.