Middlesbrough missed the chance to move back to the top of the Sky Bet Championship after their unbeaten start to the season was ended by a 1-0 defeat at Portsmouth.
Boro needed a point to return to the summit following Coventry’s 5-0 thrashing of Sheffield Wednesday earlier in the day.
But South Korean winger Yang Min-hyeok’s first-half strike was enough to earn Pompey a first win in five league games.
The visitors dominated the early exchanges and Aidan Morris should have done better than lifting his shot over from the edge of the penalty area after good wing play from Tommy Conway.
Hayden Hackney also saw his effort from midway inside the 18-yard box deflected over the crossbar.
Pompey could have taken the lead against the run of play in the 19th minute when Yang broke down the left and cut his cross back for Conor Chaplin.
Chaplin looked certain to score, only for Alfie Jones to produce a brilliant block to divert the ball behind for a corner.
The hosts did break the deadlock after 23 minutes courtesy of Yang’s second goal in the space of four days.
Jordan Williams fired a right-wing cross to the far post which was met by Yang and the Tottenham loanee’s half-volley squirmed through the gloves of Boro goalkeeper Sol Brynn.
Morris looked to mount an immediate response from Rob Edwards’ men but could only slice a 20-yard shot well wide of Josef Bursik’s goal.
Chaplin came close to doubling the hosts’ lead seconds after half-time, cutting in from the right and unleashing a curling shot that sailed just past a post.
Boro forward Sontje Hansen prodded a 52nd-minute effort wide after Matt Targett had cushioned a high ball from fellow wing-back Callum Brittain into his path.
Morris sliced his shot wide after Conway’s initial shot had spun into his path.
Conway then saw a side-foot strike blocked by Williams and Brittain fired tamely into the arms of Bursik as Middlesbrough began to lay siege to the Pompey penalty area.
Seven minutes from time, Targett so nearly picked out the bottom corner with a half-volley from substitute David Strelec’s floated cross but the ball flashed agonisingly wide via a deflection.
The Teessiders got a late equaliser along the south coast at Southampton last weekend to preserve their undefeated record, but found it hard-going to break through a stubborn Portsmouth defence.
Morgan Whittaker’s wayward long-range attempt in the final seconds of normal time summed up Boro’s frustrations in front of more than 2,000 travelling fans.
