Some will say Pompey's play-off hopes died when they failed to see off a limited Cheltenham team at Fratton Park. But it may be more accurate to say they went by the wayside when Paul Robinson suffered a fractured cheekbone against Luton.

For the absence of the outstanding defender of Pompey's campaign was key as the Blues failed to build on the victory over the Hatters and had to settle for a 2-2 draw with the struggling visitors.

It started so well as Pompey attacked Cheltenham from the off, and after Matt Tubbs had just failed to get on the end of an early Jed Wallace cross, Andy Barcham set up the opener with a storming run down the right and into the box before his low ball across the six-yard box was diverted in by Tubbs.

Fratton Park was rocking - for a minute and a half. Then Matt Richards' long ball had no Pompey head on the end of it and Shaun Harrad nodded down for Eliot Richards to score - and the Blues were never to lead again all night.

Things got worse for Pompey five minutes when Will Packwood was criminally unmarked to head in a Matt Richards free-kick.

The first-half scoring wasn't over and Ryan Taylor scored for the third game in a row when he glanced in a header from Dan Butler's high free-kick swung in from wide right.

It seemed set up for Pompey to stamp their authority on the second half, but they couldn't manage it. They had the best of the play and the chances after the break but even the introduction of Wes Fogden and Paul McCallum couldn't open up Cheltenham.

The half-time loss of Barcham to injury had been a factor, robbing Pompey of an attacking outlet even if Danny East was solid enough defensively as his replacement.

This result leaves Pompey still eight points off the top seven with only nine to play. Surely when the season is over, we will look back at February as the month that put us in with a chance of a late charge to the play-offs, and March as the month that blew it, even if it did feature the fine result against Luton.

Perhaps a win at AFC Wimbledon on Saturday will get hopes rising again, but there is no room for any more slip-ups like the dropping of two points here.

Pompey: Jones; Devera, Whatmough, Webster (Fogden 68); Barcham (East 46), Dunne (McCallum 86), Wallace, Hollands,, Butler; Tubbs, Taylor. Subs not used: Cornell, Ertl, Atangana, Chaplin

Referee: Dean Whitestone

Attendance: 13,558 (156 away fans)

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