Portsmouth's draw with Norwich City means they have now taken eight points from a possible 12 in their past four matches
Portsmouth continued their climb away from the Championship relegation zone with a hard-fought goalless draw against Norwich City at Fratton Park.
A game high on effort if low on clear-cut chances delivered a point apiece to continue a four-match unbeaten run for John Mousinho's side.
It was enough to lift Pompey out of the drop zone into 21st place ahead of Cardiff City on goal difference.
Norwich can count themselves a touch lucky to emerge with anything, spending most of the game on the backfoot and failing to create enough genuine chances to deserve three points.
Indeed, Portsmouth will have left the field feeling they deserved victory and can count themselves unlucky after having the ball in the net in the second half.
After Connor Oglivie capitalised on a poor clearance from Angus Gunn from a corner kick, referee Andrew Kitchen harshly adjudged Matt Ritchie to have fouled the Canaries keeper.
Portsmouth have taken time to hit form this season, labouring through their first 14 games with just one win, but have now taken eight points from a possible 12 in their past four matches.
The tale of the tape for Norwich this season has been one of infuriating inconsistency. Capable on their day, they have won just six games and failed to string together more than two victories in a row.
In mitigation Norwich had their game-day preparation disrupted by the four-match ban handed to midfielder Kenny McLean - a decision Norwich City boss Thorup said hit them at 3pm forcing them to change their starting XI.
It was the hosts who had the better of a fractious first half, one where the Kitchen's yellow card saw more action than either goalmouth with four Norwich players and two from Pompey cautioned.
Yet for all the hard work and muscle from Mousinho's improving side, Gunn was untroubled in the Norwich goal with none of their seven shots on target.
Against the balance of play Norwich came closest to breaking the first-half deadlock when Borja Sainz's cross took a big deflection off Terry Devlin only for keeper Nicolas Schmid to get down low to his left to block at his near post.
The biggest talking point of the match was to come, Portsmouth having the ball in the net on 54 minutes from a corner kick when Ogilvie volleyed Gunn's flapped clearance back past the Norwich keeper from eight yards out.
Yet Gunn was reprieved after Kitchen decided Ritchie blocked him as the corner came in.
It looked a harsh decision but the Portsmouth players did not complain.
And in truth they had the chances to take all three points but Tom McIntyre's sidefoot attempt, a Colby Bishop header, and a Paddy Lane effort after a good cutback late on failed to test Gunn.
Post-match reaction
Portsmouth manager John Mousinho told BBC Radio Solent:
"A really good point, the clean sheet is something to build on and to be honest I thought it was a really good performance from start to finish against a really, really good Championship side.
"I am really pleased with how far the boys have come, with the bravery they are showing to press and with the bravery shown on the ball. We just have to put a final few bits together and we'll be nearly there."
Norwich City manager Johannes Hoff Thorup told BBC Radio Norfolk:
"Short story is that it is OK for us with a point. The attitude and the character from the boys was outstanding and what we needed after the game on Saturday. In the future we can be even better and we have to be better.
"We have to become a little bit better on the ball and find those moments.
"We have been talking about the risk-reward [balance] and today it was low risk and not too much reward. Sometimes we play with the high risk but again it is about balance. We accepted this was going to be tough but it was important we kept a clean sheet.
"Kenny McLean was a part of our preparation but at 3pm today we had to change that. It was a surprise to me that things like this can happen."
