SAINTS Women had to settle for a 0-0 draw against Portsmouth after they were denied a late South Coast derby win by the offside flag.

Georgia Mullett had found the net with 15 minutes left to play but the loanee's first Saints goal was quickly ruled out for a tight offside.

Sophie Quirk should have won the game for Pompey in the dying moments but was denied one-on-one by a massive save from Fran Stenson.

Saints kept the pressure on through seven additional minutes but were unable to find a breakthrough, denying them a league double over Portsmouth.

Marieanne Spacey-Cale made one change from the team that lost 2-1 at Championship league leaders Birmingham last Sunday in an attempt to return to winning ways.

Loanee Vivienne Lia dropped to the bench for Welsh international Rachel Rowe, who was making her return to the starting lineup following injury.

Childhood Saints fan Meg Collett scored in the reverse fixture at Fratton Park and was named on the bench after returning to training this week.

Saints had already claimed two victories over Pompey this season and hoped to end an eight-game winless run by beating their rivals on home turf.

Portsmouth arrived at St Mary's on the back of consecutive Championship victories and looked like a side brimming with confidence early on.

They registered the first shot on goal, Emma Jones stinging the palms of Stenson, but they were soon given a taste of the danger Saints possess when applied correctly.

Mullett should have done better and lost control of the ball when through on goal while Rowe lacked quality with efforts from range.

The game had slowed down, save for Mullett's shot which rolled past the far post, until Megan Hornby's looping effort hit the roof of the net, sparking a thrilling end to the first half.

Riva Casley headed just over from a corner for the visitors before miscommunication inside the Pompey box afforded Molly Pike a shot, which she poked straight at Hannah Poulter.

Jay Sadler's side continued to cause problems after the break and were denied a stunning opener by Stenson, who tipped Hornby's effort onto the crossbar.

Spacey-Cale responded with a double change, introducing Lia and Collett, just after Pike forced a corner with their first effort of the second half.

Those changes helped Saints wrestle back control of the game, however, it was their most senior player Rowe who took charge of proceedings as the sun settled.

The home fans appealed for a penalty after Rowe's cross appeared to strike a Pompey arm, and she had the supporters on the edge of their seats seconds later with a rasping effort. 

Mullett thought she had won the game for Saints with 15 minutes to go but her celebrations with fellow loanee Lia were soon cut short by the linesman's flag.

Pompey reacted well and should have won the game in the 88th minute but Stenson pulled off her latest heroic save to deny Quirk a certain winner.

Saints applied pressure during seven additional minutes but were unable to find a way past Pompey, who take another step towards safety with this point.

Saints: Stenson, Mott (Collett, 60'), Bourne, Peake, Purfield, Peplow, Harbert, Palmer (Lia, 60'), Pike, Rowe (Dennis, 80'), Mullett.

Unused subs: Haaland, Milne, Roberts, Mallon, Wats.

Portsmouth: Poulter, Rolf, Casley, Coan, Bull, McLaughlin, Rowbotham, Barker, Quirk, Jones (Williams, 86'), Hornby.

Unused subs: Jarrett, Bramley, McLachlan, Humphrey.

Attendance: 5,666.