Portsmouth played well, on the whole, but the team has scored only six away league goals all season, and despite the inclusion of the inventive Eyal Berkovic in the starting line-up, drew a blank again at Goodison and were duly punished.
Still no away league win for Portsmouth. What difference would one make? The answer lies at St Andrews, where Les Ferdinand eased Leicester's turmoil by giving them a valueable away win, launching them to seventeenth and out of the relegation zone.
Portsmouth next play in midweek against Liverpool. What price Portsmouth 'shock' them a fourth time?