Wycombe Wanderers 0, Portsmouth 0.

Wanderers had to live on their nerves before extending their unbeaten run thanks to a second successive goalless draw.

They looked a shadow of the side that were seeing off teams with ease earlier in the season, particularly in a first half that was entirely dominated by Portsmouth.

Recent arrival Matt Tubbs could and should have scored a hat trick before the half time whistle, and although Blues improved after the break this was very much a point gained rather than two dropped against a struggling side.

For the first time since his move, the absence of Josh Scowen was keenly felt in the centre of the park as Wanderers couldn’t get to grips with their visitors.

They failed to retain possession for any meaningful period of time until the belated introduction of Aaron Holloway and a change in formation at least brought with it a few chances for Wanderers to go in front.

But Scowen’s ability to keep and carry the ball left a big hole in the midfield and allowed Pompey to pin Wanderers back for the whole of the first half, with the visitors serving notice of their intent in the first minute as skipper Ben Chorley nodded weakly into the side netting.

Strong penalty appeals were waved away as Matt Tubbs smashed the ball into Aaron Pierre’s hand from a couple of yards away, but referee Andy D’Urso ignored the protests.

Striker Tubbs then broke through the offside trap with consummate ease but Pierre was able to recover in time to put in a challenge that diverted the Portsmouth man’s admittedly weak effort behind for a corner.

Wanderers didn’t help their own cause with some hesitation in defence and a couple of slipshod backpasses that Matt Ingram had to hurriedly boot into touch to avert the danger.

And Ingram had to be on his toes as Tubbs once again sprung the Wanderers defence, but he showed little of the composure that brought him so many goals for Wimbledon earlier this season as his shot was kept out by the sprawling Blues keeper.

Tubbs’ luck was out again as his flying volley was deflected inches wide of the upright by some brave defending from Joe Jacobson, and from the resulting corner Jack Whatmough made a hash of a free header at the far post as he sent it into the side netting.

It took until ten minutes before the break for the table toppers to have a presentable chance thanks to Peter Murphy’s persistence down the right. His first cross was blocked but he bored his way to the byline and put in a second, although it had too much power on it and Sam Wood could do no more than glance it comfortably wide.

Normal service was resumed as the defence dissolved in front of Ingram once again, with the Blues keeper confidently plucking a fierce shot from Jed Wallace out of the air as it threatened to fly into the roof of the net.

Yet Wanderers had the best chance of the first half as Murphy again got clear before pulling the ball back for Jacobson, who cracked a superb curling effort against the crossbar from outside the box.

It would have been rough justice on the visitors had that gone in, and they had further chances to go in front before the interval as Paul Robinson jabbed the ball wide from an inviting low cross and Tubbs fired wide as Ingram’s subsequent goalkick failed to go any significant distance.

Wanderers couldn’t be any worse in the second half and Fred Onyedinma made his first impression on the game as he flicked a volleyed pass from Jacobson over keeper Paul Jones, but he ran out of space and from a tight angle he could only guide the ball wide.

Ryan Taylor headed off target and Tubbs, once more, fired wide as the finish failed to match the build-up, with Portsmouth again threatening to grab the goal their play had more than warranted.

Some fine link-up play down the left involving Jacobson and Hogan Ephraim teed up Wood to have a crack at goal, although his first-time effort was fired straight at Jones.

Ephraim was replaced by Holloway shortly afterwards and the formation change that went with it gave the Blues attack added impetus, with Onyedinma inches away from putting the hosts in front as he dived to plant a header agonisingly wide from a Jacobson cross.

Keeper Jones then spilled a routine corner from Jacobson before recovering well to block Alfie Mawson’s close range effort, before Sido Jombati blasted an injury time chance way off target as the match petered out.

Wanderers: Ingram, Jombati, Pierre, Mawson, Jacobson, Ephraim (sub Holloway), Bean, Murphy, Wood, Onyedinma, McClure (sub Craig). Substitutes not used: Richardson, Senior, Rowe, Kretzschmar, Bloomfield.

Attendance: 5,829 (1,550 from Portsmouth)