Suddenly the automatic promotion places look a lot further away. Seven points is the gap between Pompey and Oxford after Michael Appleton's team became only the second this season to beat the Blues on their own patch in League Two.

Sub Jordan Bowery got the goal 14 minutes from time immediately after Marc McNulty and Gareth Evans had got in each other's way in front of goal and allowed United a lucky escape.

With Liverpool loanee Ryan Fulton making his debut in goal and Matt Clarke back in defence in place of Christian Burgess, both sides went at it from the start.

The referee, Neil Swarbrick, was one of the poorest seen at Fratton for some time, getting some basic and obvious decisions wrong, and the cheering was loud and ironic when he finally did give something Pompey's way.

Oxford had a couple of half-chances but Danny Hylton, Johnny Mullins and Kemar Roofe all spurned their opportunities.

Marc McNulty had a shot cleared off the line after good inter-play between him and Gary Roberts set up an opening, before Kyle Bennett's curling 20-yard free-kick was deflected over.

Matt Clarke and Adam Webster were looking strong at the back but as the sides went in for the break, it was probably Oxford who could feel they'd had the better of the first period.

Oxford had a penalty six minutes into the second half when Hylton made a lot of a challenge by Fulton, who had come charging out to close down the striker's surge into the area. But Fulton saved Liam Sercombe's penalty and - with an even better save - the follow-up.

That lifted the Pompey support and for a time their team bossed the game.

Ben Close came on for Adam Barton, who'd had one of his quieter games, and then Adam McGurk replaced Roberts.

The changes helped the Blues enjoy plenty of possession but for all that, they didn't get visiting keeper Sam Slocombe much to do.

From Pompey's best chance, Oxford broke and scored. When Ben Davies swung over a cross from the right it seemed certain that either McNulty or Gareth Evans would get on the end of it and bury it - but the pair seemed to get in each other's way.

Sercombe claimed it and Jake Wright's long ball forward saw sub Bowery run on it and hit a low angled shot beyond Fulton's dive and into the far corner to the delight of the 2,000 Oxford fans behind the Milton end goal.

Conor Chaplin was Pompey's third sub but the Blues could find little pressure in the final 10 minutes- the best chance coming when McGurk headed goalwards, but it was straight into the keeper's arms.

The defeat leaves Pompey seven points off the top and needing to find their best run of league form of the season if they're to get back in with a good chance of automatic promotion.

Pompey: Fulton; Davies, Webster, Clarke, Stevens; Barton (Close 54), Doyle; Evans, Roberts (McGurk 63), Bennett; McNulty (Chaplin 82). Subs not used: Jones, Burgess, Tollitt, Naismith.

Referee: Neil Swarbrick

Attendance: 17,840 (2,047 away fans)

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