Gunnarsson stokes the fires of Potteries survival

Desperate Stoke may have only two points from their last 11 games but they gave themselves fresh hope of First Division survival with a performance that suggested title favourites Portsmouth are not to disappear over the horizon just yet.

Deservedly in front through Brynjar Gunnarsson's first-half goal, Stoke forced Pompey into a tactical rethink before Harry Redknapp's side could claim an equaliser. The last 18 minutes had Stoke fans biting fingernails, though, after substitute Jason Crowe had put the visitors level. The points were shared, but only just – a view Redknapp endorsed by describing Stoke's first-half as "the best by any side we have faced this season".

"It could have been game over by half-time," he added, "and although we got on top in the second half after changing things round we could have been out of it by then. Stoke played very well and my lads know they got away with it."

Moreover, Redknapp stressed, the match had made nonsense of the notion that Portsmouth would run away with the First Division title. "I wish I could stand here and say we are different class, but we're not," he said. "We are a good, workmanlike side but we are not like Manchester City last season."

Indeed, it had been the home side who had set the pace on a bitingly cold, dull and misty afternoon. Even before Gunnarsson gave Stoke the lead after 31 minutes, practically all the meaningful action had taken place in front of the Portsmouth goal. Gunnarsson and Karl Henry fought for every ball in midfield and their determination not to allow Paul Merson to dictate play soon yielded chances for their own side.

Twice in the first 15 minutes, Stoke could, perhaps should, have gone ahead. First, a poor pass by Carl Robinson let Chris Greenacre dispossess Hayden Foxe and the striker's run at goal might have had a successful outcome had Linvoy Primus not stood his ground to prevent a clear shot at Shaka Hislop.

Then Andy Cooke, who had already headed over from a Marcus Hall cross, found himself on the end of another, flicked on by Lewis Neal, but somehow managed to permit Hislop to save.

The opening goal, a first of the season for Iceland midfielder Gunnarsson, was therefore well signposted. Wayne Thomas's cross from the right found two men unmarked at the far post, the deepest of them, defender Sergei Shtaniuk, heading back into the six-yard box for Gunnarsson to nod home.

It was enough to force Redknapp into a half-time revision, Portsmouth re-emerging with three at the back instead of four and Kevin Harper and Jason Crowe introduced as wing-backs. The changes worked immediately, the visitors gaining control of midfield and with it threatening an early equaliser.

Two telling crosses by Merson from the right almost provided one, Deon Burton – back at his first club after his midweek move from Derby – shooting high and wide after Svetoslav Todorov had headed the ball into his path, and Crowe heading over the top when he should really have scored.

Then, after Gunnarsson had impeded Nigel Quashie 20 yards from goal, Merson sent a curled free-kick narrowly wide.

Stoke manager Tony Pulis responded by sending on Petur Marteinsson as a man-marker in an attempt to shackle the former Arsenal man but Portsmouth's pressure paid off with 18 minutes to go. Harper drove the ball into the Stoke box from the left, a flick across goal by Primus wrong-footed goalkeeper Steve Banks and Crowe tapped into an empty net.