Rob Atkinson's goals against Derby County were his first for Portsmouth
Rob Atkinson scored both of Portsmouth's goals on the way to netting an unwanted hat-trick as Pompey claimed a draw with relegation rivals Derby County at Fratton Park.
The central defender grabbed the stoppage-time equaliser having earlier cancelled out Jerry Yates' opener for the Rams.
That first goal on his return from injury was then quickly followed up by an own goal, which had appeared to have the visitors on course for a crucial victory in their battle to avoid the drop.
But on a chaotic afternoon for Atkinson, he met a searching long ball from goalkeeper Nicolas Schmid to make it 2-2 in the 91st minute.
It was a thrilling finish to an already entertaining game which started with Derby goalkeeper Jacob Widell Zetterstrom saving Colby Bishop's penalty kick after conceding the spot-kick himself by bringing down Matt Ritchie.
Derby's Marcus Harness went closest to breaking the deadlock in the first half with an effort that came off the woodwork, and the Rams eventually had to settle for a share of the points that keeps them one place above the drop zone.
Cardiff City's defeat by Stoke City means Derby move one point clear of the bottom three, while Portsmouth are a further three points ahead in 19th spot with four matches remaining.
The return of Bristol City loanee Atkinson to Portsmouth's starting line-up after seven games out with a calf injury was one of five changes John Mousinho made after the midweek defeat at Coventry City.
After a last-gasp goal cost them against the Sky Blues, Portsmouth went looking for a fast start in this relegation scrap.
But despite Bishop stepping up for an early penalty, Zetterstrom made amends for conceding the spot-kick with a foul on Matt Ritchie by making a crucial save in the game of high stakes.
Derby's goalkeeper went on to make another decisive first-half save, keeping Christian Saydee out after the striker weaved his way through the Rams' backline.
In between Zetterstrom's saves, Derby had two chances to open the scoring themselves. Craig Forsyth blazed an effort over from seven yards, before a cross-come-shot from Harness hit both the underside of the crossbar and inside of the post against his former side.
A headed clearance from Regan Poole denied Derby's Ebou Adams from breaking the deadlock with a first-time effort in first-half stoppage time, while Pompey goalkeeper Schmid tipped a looped header from Forsyth over the bar after the interval.
Three goals in five hectic minutes, during which Atkinson found the back of the net at both ends after Yates broke the deadlock with a header, had Derby closing in on what would have been only their third win on the road this season.
But Atkinson's second headed goal of the afternoon – with his own goal coming off his boot when trying to deal with a Kayden Jackson cross – sent Fratton Park into a frenzy.
'Atkinson left everything out there' - reaction
Portsmouth boss John Mousinho told BBC Radio Solent:
"Before the game we wanted to win it, it was a big game for us but the most important thing was to not lose the game.
"So when you go through what we went though today, in terms of missing a penalty, then shooting ourselves in the foot conceding the goals at really poor times, to come back into it was really pleasing.
"Rob [Atkinson] is a player who has two years' worth of bad injuries at Bristol City, and he came in in January and we managed him back into the fold and he unfortunately got that calf injury against QPR [in February].
"But there aren't many players with five games left on their loan risking what Rob risked today. He will go back to Bristol City after his loan, but he came in and he played like he had a four-year contract at Portsmouth, and I'm really pleased we have characters in the dressing room like that.
"He didn't have to do it, he was pencilled in for 60 minutes and we got beyond that, and as you saw, he left everything out there."
Derby County head coach John Eustace told BBC Radio Derby:
"It was an excellent all-round performance. We have come to a really difficult place and I don't think many people expected us to get a result here.
"The effort, desire and commitment was there for everyone to see.
"Going into the last five or six minutes while 2-1 up I expect to see it out, but we were under a lot of pressure, they put a lot of good balls into the box, they filled the box. Overall, we defended it very well but it just wasn't well enough today.
"But to come away with a point in the end is a positive result."
