Pompey's 2016 slump continued as they fell to a 1-0 defeat at Barnet - a result which saw them drop out of the play-off places.
No-one could say Barnet didn't deserve their interval lead and although Pompey picked up after the break, their lack of killer instinct where it matters meant they could not even rescue a point.
It leaves the Blues with just one point from back-to-back away games against struggling sides in which they would have wanted at least four. They slip to eighth place in the table and are now nine points behind Oxford, who occupy the final automatic promotion spot.
Marc McNulty, Matt Clarke and Adam McGurk all came into the starting line-up and Kai Naismith was soon on the pitch with them after Gary Roberts picked up an early knock.
John Akinde was judged to have been fouled by Adam Webster from a long throw four minutes before half-time and he put the spot-kick away himself.
McNulty almost engineering an opening at the other end but was stopped by Bondz N'Gala.
The first half showing had been poor from Pompey and they improved in the second half and a draw perhaps wouldn't have been an unfair result.
Naismith, Clarke and Ben Davies all went close in the second half but the longer the game went on, the stronger the feeling that once again this was not going to be Pompey's day, or night.
Now, more than at any time this season, Pompey desperately need a run of wins - starting at home to Cambridge on Saturday.
Pompey: Fulton; Davies, Webster, Clarke, Stevens; Close (Smith 60), Doyle (c); McGurk, Roberts (Naismith 8), Bennett; McNulty (Chaplin 78). Subs not used: Bass, Freeman, Barton, Hollands
Referee: Philip Gibbs
Attendance: 2,557 (1,330 Pompey fans)
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