MANSFIELD Town ended a two-match losing streak as they returned from Portsmouth with a point in a 1-1 draw.
Simon Heslop netted his first goal of the season to put the visitors in front seconds after the half-time interval at Fratton Park.
It came on the back of a lively first half from the Stags which saw them create several chances.
Pompey though, hit back and levelled with 20 minutes to go through Paul Robinson.
That set up a grand-stand finale in which both sides went close, but Mansfield hung on to record their first stalemate of the campaign.
New signing Jamie Sendles-White came straight in for his Stags debut, having joined 24 hours earlier as boss Paul Cox looked to ease a defensive injury crisis.
The QPR centre-back replaced Ryan Tafazolli, who is sidelined with a torn hamstring, while Simon Heslop came in for the suspended Adam Murray in midfield.
Sascha Studer retained his place in goal, with Mansfield without a substitute keeper due to a groin strain to Dimitar Evtimov. But there was a place on the bench for Chris Clements as he continued his recovery from a hamstring injury.
In front of a vociferous crowd at a packed Fratton Park, the hosts made the brighter start, doing much of the early running but without creating too many chances.
Danny Hollands almost broke through in the fifth minute, from Jed Wallace's threaded ball, but Studer was quickly off his line and gathered up to avert the danger.
After that, it was Mansfield who forged the better openings as they worked their way into the game.
Rakish Bingham was at the heart of much of their positive play, slotting in Fergus Bell with seven minutes gone, but the latter sent a tame shot wide from outside the area.
Shortly afterwards, Bingham capitalised on a slip by Alex Wynter and took the opportunity to run at goal, weaving his way forward with some fancy footwork.
Only the finish was missing as Paul Jones's save brought an end to the move.
Still, the chances, albeit not quite clearcut ones, kept coming.
Bell curled an effort over from 20 yards and Bingham found the target - and Jones - once again, with a glancing header from Lee Beevers' ball in.
Just when it looked like Mansfield were getting closer to a breakthrough, Jamie McGuire bucked the trend by blasting a wild effort into the stands from range.
After initially monopolising possession, Pompey had barely had a look in during the opening half hour, so much so that ironic cheers rang out when Ryan Taylor mustered their first effort on target – a weak daisycutter which failed to trouble Studer.
Michael Drennan fared no better when he fired over the bar from a corner.
Cox's side had more than held their own in the opening period, putting in a much better shift than last week's lacklustre first half against Accrington Stanley.
And they almost got the goal they deserved before the break, Jones plucking the ball out of the air after Bingham had looked to curl it in to the top corner from out on the left.
The only blot on the visitors' copybook came when Matt Rhead clattered in to Johnny Ertl, sending the Portsmouth skipper in to the advertising boards and picking up a yellow card in the process.
Nevertheless, Stags picked up where they left off once the second half was under way – and less than 60 seconds later they were ahead.
Sloppy defending by the hosts was punished by Heslop as he latched on to Rhead's flick from Kieron Freeman's throw and beat Jones with a low shot from the edge of the area.
Pompey piled the pressure on in response, putting their opponents on the back foot.
But some sterling work in defence kept them at bay, and it was Mansfield who almost added to the scoreline.
Twice in the space of a minute Bingham went close.
Freeman made a terrific interception on the hour and set the front man free; Jones though, was equal to his effort, while Bingham's second strike whizzed inches wide of the far post from the right side of the area.
Still, the home side continued to keep knocking at the door, Taylor going close and Studer thwarting Michael Drennan.
And in the 70th minute, the equaliser finally came as Portsmouth's double substitution paid off.
Nigel Atangana had only been on the pitch a matter of minutes when his pull-back across the face of goal was slotted home by Robinson.
The momentum turned in Pompey's favour, though both sides could have grabbed a winner before the game was out.
Studer twice saved from Danny Hollands, on the second occasion, superbly tipping his strike from the edge of the area over the bar.
And at the opposite end, Bingham forced Jones in to action following good work by Palmer and Bell.
PORTSMOUTH: Jones, Devera, Robinson, Ertl (Atangana 68), Wynter, Hollands, Dunne, Wallace, Shorey, Taylor (Storey 85), Drennan (Agyemang 68). Subs not used: Poke, Holmes, Westcarr, Butler.
MANSFIELD: Studer, Sutton, Riley, Sendles-White, Beevers, Heslop (Clements 87), McGuire, Bell (Taylor 79), Freeman, Rhead (Palmer 58), Bingham. Subs not used: Thomas, Marsden, Fisher, Lambe.
ATTENDANCE: 15,585 (397 away).
