A late equaliser by on-loan Azar Karadas in a 1–1 home draw against Bolton ended Portsmouth's run of seven defeats in a row and earned them a crucial point from a match that, had they lost, would have virtually ended any hopes of survival that season. However, it was not until a last-minute winning goal by Pedro Mendes at home to Manchester City two weeks later that a dramatic change in form and fortunes was sparked during March and April, which coincided with a loss of form for both Birmingham and West Brom. After gaining 17 points from 8 games, Portsmouth avoided relegation on 29 April when a win in the penultimate game of the season at Wigan Athletic, combined with Birmingham's failure to beat Newcastle United, put Portsmouth beyond the pursuit of the Premier League's bottom three sides.