Liam Walker's late penalty ensured a share of the spoils against Carlisle United after falling behind to Rory Loy's second half opener.
In honesty, this was a game of few chances for both sides and the first half was particularly uneventful. Pompey played some good football but struggled to create anything as soon as the ball made its way into the final third.
Carlisle were happy to sit back and soak up the pressure during the early minutes but almost took the lead when Jon-Paul McGovern's free kick smashed the cross bar and bounced off Simon Eastwood to eventual safety.
The second half saw the opposition improve on their poor first half showing and take control of the match.
Eastwood superbly palmed away Liam Noble's effort from the edge of the box but could do nothing to stop Loy going around him and slotting into an empty net after Liam Miller's pass split the Pompey defence open.
The Cumbrians had a couple of other chances to finish Pompey off but they didn't and paid the price when Patrick Agyemang received a long ball and played John Akinde through on goal.
The striker was brought down by goalkeeper Mark Gillespie which resulted in a yellow card when it might have been red instead. Liam Walker, on as a substitute, made no mistaking in dispatching the penalty and bringing the scores level.
Carlisle could have won it late on when Loy volleyed over the bar when unmarked in the box and Eastwood made another good save in stoppage time when he turned Dave Symington's shot around the post.
The draw means that Portsmouth are now unbeaten in two games but winless in 21. Hartlepool's late double against Leyton Orient also means that Pompey are now bottom of League One on merit.
Not that it really matters because League Two beckons anyway but it's still slightly embarrassing. Still, at least things are starting to improve on the pitch, even if it's at snail's pace.
Pompey Player Ratings
Simon Eastwood: 7 - A couple of excellent saves.
Shaun Cooper: N/A - Limped off with hamstring injury in the first half.
Ricardo Rocha: 6 - Solid performance.
Sam Sodje: 6 - Put his body in the way.
Dan Butler: 7 - Looking like he'll be an asset in League Two.
Adam Reed: 5 - Not really involved.
Therry Racon: 6 - Good dribbler.
Johnny Ertl: 5 - Sluggish showing.
Jed Wallace: 5 - Strangely low key.
James Keene: 5 - Didn't do much.
Patrick Agyemang: 7 - Held the ball up really well.
Substitutes
Phil Smith
Adam Webster
Gabor Gyepes
Yassin Moutaouakil (Cooper 38): 6 - Nothing spectacular.
Liam Walker (Wallace 62): 7 - Good penalty but start him for crying out loud!
Ashley Harris
John Akinde (Keene 62): 6 - Won the penalty.