After thrashing six past Leeds a month ago, Pompey have now failed to find the net in four successive outings.

Again, as in the previous games, a bright and inventive start came to nothing with a failure to find the killer punch.

In the end, despite their overall dominance, the Blues had to fall back on grit and determination to earn a hard-fought and deserved point.

In an often scrappy and disjointed affair, Pompey carried the greatest threat, none more so than Yakubu, who terrorised the Boro defence early on.

Twice, he just missed the target - first with a mistimed header from a corner on six minutes and then, shortly after, curling a great effort on the run over the Boro bar.

Patrik Berger was also dangerous in that first half-hour with bursts through the middle, climaxed by two fierce left-foot drives that had Boro keeper Mark Schwarzer scrambling to save.

Teddy Sheringham, too, in the first half, first shooting wide on 17 minutes and then failing to hit the target again with a free header from Matt Taylor's left-wing free kick.

But it was Yakubu who squandered the best chance of the game early in the second half when, on the break, he chose to go it alone rather than pass to the unmarked Nigel Quashie, who was free to score on the edge of the penalty area.

Pavel Srnicek, making his Pompey league debut, had an uncertain first half and his lack of judgement twice gave Boro chances to go ahead.

First, a missed punch led to Juninho hooking wide of the open goal and then the Czech keeper came but failed to claim a cross and only desperate defending saved him.

Full back Danny Mills came the closest to breaking the deadlock when, after storming into the penalty area, he clattered the underside of the Pompey cross bar on 74 minutes.

That was the signal for Boro to apply the greatest pressure and, minutes later, Boudewijn Zenden, on loan from Chelsea, was only denied by a last-gasp tackle from the impressive Taylor.

Pompey had to play out the last 13 minutes with ten men after Steve Stone's sending-off for a second bookable offence. The first had been incurred through an innocuous challenge on the halfway line and, although the second trip on Massimo Maccarone was equally inoffensive, referee Steve Bennett was quick to brandish the red.

The Blues survived a late desperate flurry from Boro, which brought efforts from George Boateng and Mills.

Then, the 1000-plus Pompey fans were thunderstruck in injury-time when Szilard Nemeth went down in the penalty area under a challenge from Hayden Foxe. But Bennett ignored the mass penalty claims and booked the Boro striker for diving.

It was probably small consolation to Boro that they had equalled a 28-year club record of six successive top flight clean sheets but Pompey took heart from their first point away from home since the impressive draw at Arsenal's Highbury in early September.

Next weekend brings a vital home game for Pompey against Everton and, if a goal or two can be added to this weekend's whole-hearted display, three priceless points may not be such a pipedream after all.

The return to fitness of striker Jason Roberts and Quashie, impressive in his brief substitute appearance, will be welcome additions to Redknapp's selection options.