Frenchman Jeff Peron's 20-yard scorcher earned Alan Ball's Portsmouth a point in an afternoon of high drama at the County Ground.

Peron's 76th-minute equaliser capped a six-goal thriller which saw Portsmouth playing for the entire second half without goalkeeper Aaron Flahavan.

Flahavan was rushed to hospital with head, neck and face injuries following an horrific penalty-box collision with Swindon striker Iffy Onuora in the 37th minute.

Central defender Russell Perrett, an outfield substitute, replaced Flahavan for the rest of the game.

Chris Hay had given Swindon the lead after 31 minutes with only his second goal of the season when the luckless Flahavan failed to hold a shot from George Ndah.

Perrett's first task after replacing Flahavan was to pick the ball from the back of the net when Hay grabbed his second of the afternoon with Ndah once again the provider.

Steve Claridge gave Portsmouth some hope in the 44th minute running onto an underhit back-pass from Bobby Howe to keep his side in the game.

But Onuora increased Swindon's lead just before the break when he met a cross from Mark Robinson with a thundering header which gave stand-in keeper Perrett no chance.

Portsmouth's comeback was on track in the 74th minute when Claridge headed home despite the brilliance of Frank Talia whose brilliant save saw a shot from Guy Whittingham hit the bar, only for Claridge to follow up.

Then came Peron's wonderful right-foot shot as Swindon's defence made the error of allowing him to run with the ball and pick his spot.

Former Swindon player Alan McLoughlin cleared off his own goalline in the 88th minute when Portsmouth failed to deal with a corner which was met on the volley by Gareth Hall.

Then in the last minute Matthew Robinson ended Swindon's hopes of snatching a late winner when he desperately bundled the ball away off the line from an effort by Ndah.

There were bookings for Swindon's Brian Borrows and Onuora and Adrian Whitbread and Guy Whittingham were cautioned for Portsmouth.

Teams

Swindon: Talia, Robinson, Hall, Leitch, Taylor, Borrows, Howe (Hulbert 58), Ndah, Onuora, Hay, Davis (Gooden 86).

Subs Not Used: Griffin.

Booked: Borrows, Onuora.

Goals: Hay 31, 40, Onuora 44.

Portsmouth: Flahavan (Perrett 37), Robinson, Simpson (Nightingale 78), McLoughlin, Whitbread, Awford, Whittingham, Peron, Vlachos, Claridge, Igoe (Thogersen 62).

Booked: Whitbread, Whittingham. Goals: Claridge 44, 74, Peron 76.

Att: 10,230

Ref: C Foy (St Helens).