Tubbs' late strike cancelled out
Pompey had to settle for a point as they brought the curtain down on their season with a 1-1 draw against York.
Bobby Olejnik made a string of fine saves throughout the second half to frustrate their attacking advances.
But it looked like victory had been assured when League Two top scorer Matt Tubbs fired home an impressive finish late on.
However, there was still time for Brad Halliday to grab an equaliser against the run of play just moments later.
Gary Waddock made one change from the side that won at Mansfield the previous week.
Teenage forward Conor Chaplin was handed his first senior start alongside Tubbs up front, with Craig Westcarr dropping to the bench.
Before kick-off there were a number of presentations, with various supporters’ groups presenting their awards.
Jed Wallace was among the recipients and he also picked up the top prize – The News/Sports Mail Player of the Season.
It was the visitors who came close to breaking the deadlock once the game got underway.
A free-kick from wide on the right was only partially cleared and Keith Lowe’s acrobatic over-head effort cannoned against the crossbar.
But that was a rare moment of excitement in an otherwise leisurely start to the game, with neither side looking particularly threatening.
Tubbs and Stephane Zubar tried their luck from long-range at either end, although the ball was off target on both occasions.
A poor header from Dave Winfield then sent Tubbs clear, but the striker wasted the opportunity by blazing over.
Neither goalkeeper had been called into action, but Paul Jones had to be alert to stop the hosts falling behind on 35 minutes.
A free-kick from Luke Summerfield flew into the wall, but Russell Penn’s follow-up was creeping into the corner before Pompey’s number one got down to save.
But it was the Blues who almost led at the break, with John McCombe clearing Chaplin’s shot off the line after Minstermen stopper Olejnik could only parry Wallace’s low cross.
Half Time: Pompey 0 York 0
Pompey almost got the second half off to a perfect start, only for Olejnik to keep out a fierce Wallace drive.
The keeper then did well to smother Chaplin’s dangerous cross and deny Danny Hollands a close-range finish.
Waddock’s half-time talk had obviously psyched the hosts up, as they had another great chance on 50 minutes.
Tubbs’ cross was flicked on by Hollands and a thunderous volley from Wallace struck the inside of the post before bouncing to safety.
Pompey were passing the ball around nicely as they went in search of a winner to end the season on a high.
It was Chaplin who came close to getting it on 63 minutes, only to be denied by another decent stop from Olejnik after James Dunne had laid the ball off.
Fellow academy graduate Ben Close was next to force the keeper into action after tricking his way into a shooting position.
And then, from the resulting corner, Adam Webster headed against the post, as the Blues continued to be frustrated.
It was proving to be Pompey v Olejnik as the hosts poured forward at every opportunity.
First the Minstermen stopper managed to push Dunne’s deflected effort over and he then did brilliantly to stop Webster converting Wallace’s corner.
But Olejnik could do nothing to stop TUBBS finally finding the net on 83 minutes, with the striker turning and hitting a fine 20-yard shot into the bottom corner.
The lead lasted just two minutes, however, as Halliday wrong-footed Dan Butler in the Blues box before driving the ball past Jones’ grasp.
Wallace was then brought off for Bradley Tarbuck and received a standing ovation as he made his way from the pitch.
But – after the remaining moments yielded no further goals – it was the Fratton faithful who received a deserved round of applause from the players as they made their way around the pitch following the final whistle.
Pompey (4-diamond-2): Jones; Devera, Ertl (c), Webster, Butler; Dunne, Close, Wallace (Tarbuck 88), Hollands; Chaplin, Tubbs
Goals: Tubbs 83
Booked: Butler
Subs not used: Poke, May, Shorey, Fogden, Atangana, Westcarr
York (3-4-1-2): Olejnik; Lowe, Winfield (Ilesanmi 46), McCombe; Halliday, Summerfield, Penn, Zubar; Coulson (Platt 68); Coulthirst (Miller 78), Hyde
Goals: Halliday 85
Subs not used: Ingham, McCoy, Montrose, Meikle
Referee: Rob Lewis
Attendance: 17,254 (480 away fans)