With temperatures soaring both teams played their part in an entertaining game albeit one with few chances and ultimately no goals.
Pompey made three changes from the previous match with Hayden Mullins returning to the starting line-up following his one match suspension and he was joined in the starting line-up by Carl Dickinson and Aaron Mokoena.
On-loan Swan David Cotterill was ineligible for this match, Liam Lawrence was injured and Ricardo Rocha was suspended following his sending off against Cardiff City the week before.
Pompey fielded just four substitutes - only three outfield players - harking back to the start of the season. Indeed Steve Cotterill acknowledged this in his post-match interview in his own 'down to the bare bones' moment.
It was interesting to note that Pompey Academy player Sam Magri was on the sidelines carrying out some light duties - I wonder if there's an opportunity for him on the horizon in one of the three remaining games? Even if it's only being involved with the matchday squad as a substitute that would surely be a positive move?
At the other end of the age scale, Pompey's vetran Icelandic defender Hermann Hreidarsson was made skipper on the day - ahead of both Dave Kitson and Aaron Mokoena. When announced it got good cheers of approval from the Fratton Faithful.
Pompey's Joel Ward collected a Player Of The Season Award before kick-off - the first of many I'm sure he'll collect in his career.
Former Pompey player turned TV pundit Paul Walsh was covering the game for SkyTV:
Pompey's best chance of the match fell in the opening minutes. Aaron Mokoena found himself unmarked in the penalty area and on the end of Hayden Mullins' excellent free-kick from the right hand side. Unfortunately, despite making a connection his header went wide of the right upright much to the relief of the travelling fans in The Milton End.
David Nugent was looking lively up front for Pompey and had one excellent shot from outstide of the box which whistled past the post. He also closed down the Swansea goalkeeper who was dealing with a backpass and blocked his attempted clearance.
Greg Halford's long throws in to the penalty box were once again proving a good attacking weapon and Hereidarsson came closest to capitalising but unfortunately his header went over the cross bar.
Former Southampton player Nathan Dyer received plenty of reminders from the home fans of his association with Pompey's South Coast rivals throughout the first half and much of the second.
Just after the half-hour Pompey were forced in to a change. Dave Kitson chased down a ball in the penalty area alongside a defender and the keeper but he suddenly pulled up. It looked like he had over-stretched himself and had damaged his rib cartlidge. After some treatment on the pitch, and a painful looking attempt to try and run down the touchline once he was off it, Kitson left the field of play. Steve Cotterill brought the experienced Kanu on as a replacement.
HT: Portsmouth 0-0 Swansea City
The opening minutes of the first half saw both sides exchange long range efforts. Scott Sinclair shot just over the bar and in to the travelling away fans and shortly afterwards Jonathan Hogg found himself with an opportunity to shoot after some good lead-up play by Pompey. However, he got his body position all wrong and with his head back his side-footed effort blazed high and wide into The Fratton End.
Kanu was at the heart of much of Pompey's good work, linking up the play well and always seemingly able to find a player to pass to. He is a class act and his creativity is something Pompey have been lacking in recent matches.
One of Pompey's best chances in the second period fell to the vetran Nigerian when he found himself in a good position in the penalty area down the left hand side only for the Swansea defender toblock his shot and see it away for a corner kick.
The sweltering conditions were beginning to impact the players ability to maintain a high tempo and although the second half was good the play became fragmented with a number of Pompey players going down with injuries and a few spats between the players. There were plenty of opportunities for the players to take on board much needed fluids.
Swansea's Borini was getting a lot of attention from Hreidarsson as he seemed incapable of finishing off a move without taking a dive. The Italian was eventually yellow carded for a foul in front of the North Terrace as his frustrations boiled over.
It's worth noting that the referee - Mr Deadman - was having quite a good game, his one error in the match was to book Jonathan Hogg for a foul which was clearly committed by Carl Dickinson.
However, it made a change to see a referee who was willing to let the play go as much as possible, talk to the players in a sensible, non-confrontational manner and who had one or two moments of banter with the fans from both teams. Something I haven't witnessed at a football match for quite some time - Mr Milford from Bristol used to be a bit like that many years ago if you can remember him. It was refreshing to observe in these days of official observers sitting in the stands watching every move.
If losing Kitson just before half-time wasn't bad enough, Ritchie De Laet had to go off injured twenty minutes before the end. At first the physio called for the stretcher and what seemed like half of Hampshire's Ambulance Service ran on to assist the stricken Belgian but De Laet was eventually able to hobble off. He walked all the way from the North Terrace to the dug out to great applause from the home fans and a few chants of 'sign him up!'. Danny Webber came on to replace him.
Pompey's defence had an interesting make-up in this game and the De Laet injury disrupted it. It looked like a 'flexible L-shape' with De Laet and Mokoena alternating in the right back slot and Hreidarsson and Dickinson doing the same in the left back slot. Hreidarsson, Halford and Mokoena fulfilled the centre back positions at different times in the game.
Swansea's only shot on goal came in the second minute of the five added on. A fierce shot from Britton was parried by Ashdown and Dyer was unable to poke the ball home, it went wide.
At the final whistle the Pompey fans were applauded off for their endeavours. Aaron Mokoena for one went over to the Fratton End and gave his shirt away to a fan in the disabled area - a nice touch, but I bet it was a bit sweaty!
Swansea look like a team that play good football but not quite the finished article in my view. They should get in to the play-offs but do they have more than Reading, Cardiff City or Norwich City? I'm not sure they do and they will have to overcome sides of that calibre if they're going to get promoted, a difficult task.
FT: Portsmouth 0-0 Swansea City
Portsmouth versus Swansea City: Jamie Ashdown, Greg Halford, Carl Dickinson, Aaron Mokoena, Ritchie De Laet, Herman Hreidarsson, Hayden Mullins, David Nugent, Jonathan Hogg, Dave Kitson, Joel Ward. Substitutes: Danny Webber, Ibrahima Sonko, Kanu, Darryl Flahavan.
Attendance: 15,907 a Bank Holiday weekend crowd boosted by around 2,000 travelling fans from South Wales
MOTM: before he went off injured Ritchie De Laet had looked lively down the right flank and always looked a threat going forward, he get's the nod from me.
Next up: Burnley(a) on Easter Monday, 25th April at 3PM. A nice 'local derby' to finish off a punishing weekend for Pompey. Burnley are looking to get in to the play-off positions and Pompey's squad will be severly tested in the North West.
BlueThruAndThru
