Southampton Academy 2 Pompey Academy 2
Pompey picked up a point at Staplewood – but only an injury-time goal denied them all three.
The Blues looked like they would complete a league double over their rivals as strikes from Carl Walshe (pictured) and Ryan Williams gave them a two-goal interval lead.
But Jake Sinclair came off the bench and pulled one back for the hosts on 67 minutes before grabbing the equaliser at the death.
Academy manager Andy Awford said: “We played very well in the first half and picked things up after falling below our usual standards at Fulham.
“Carl Walshe finished off a good team move to put us ahead, before Ryan Williams scored a fine individual effort.
“We dominated for long periods and were the better team in the first half. We deserved our lead and could – and perhaps should – have been further ahead.
“But Southampton upped their game after the break – as you’d expect from the home side – and they punished us for being sloppy in possession by pulling a goal back.
“Their equaliser came about five minutes into injury time and I don’t where the referee got that much added time from.
“But we can’t use that as an excuse because we didn’t do well enough in closing their player down on the edge of the box.
“That’s an area we haven’t addressed properly and something we’ll be working on ahead of Saturday’s match against Norwich.
“But overall I’m delighted with the attitude and commitment shown by the players. The fact that every face in the dressing room after the game looked disappointed shows how far they’ve come in the last six weeks – back then they would have been delighted with a point.
“We’re by no means the finished product yet but we’ve made steady progress and that pleases me.”
Pompey: Gledhill; Tallack, Magri, Tsovolos, Grant; Stockford (c), Colson; Williams, Harris (Jennings 76), Butler; Walshe (Fitzharris 90)
Subs not used: Fry, Seeley, Vine
Southampton: Dovey; Nicholas, Foot, Martin, O’Sullivan; Holder-Spooner, Moore, Robinson (Ward-Prowse 64), Isgrove (Chambers 24); Hoskins, Curtis (Sinclair 64)
Subs not used: Mowthorpe, Young