The Blues suffered a third successive Championship defeat thanks to Liam Cullen's second half strike in South Wales.
It’s also a third straight match without a goal for John Mousinho’s side, who stay in the bottom three, in 22nd on 17 points, two behind Oxford United in 21st on 19 points.
There were no changes to either the XI or the bench that was named in Saturday’s abandoned match away at Charlton.
Conor Chaplin came close to scoring his first Portsmouth goal in over six years, but the Ipswich loanee’s tap at goal, off the back of Josh Murphy’s deflected left-footed cross, was tipped over the bar by Lawrence Vigouroux.
Swedish midfielder Melker Widell had a chance to give the Swans the lead moments before the interval, but Blues keeper Nicolas Schmid steered the ball away from goal.
HALF-TIME: Swansea City 0-0 Portsmouth
Early on in the second 45, Zak Swanson had to be subbed off with an injury; he was replaced by Jordan Williams on 49 minutes.
Both sides had chances to open the score between the start of the second half and the only goal of the game, with two chances from Murphy that posed a threat to the Blues.
Eom Ji-Sung and Ronald had efforts saved and blocked behind the other end by both Chaplin and then Schmid.
Swans boss Vítor Matos was then booked for his protest after Northern Ireland International Ethan Galbraith was brought down in the area by Murphy, but referee Tom Reeves saw nothing of it.
The hosts then found a breakthrough and took the lead when substitute Zeidane Inoussa linked up with fellow sub Liam Cullen on the cutback, who lashed home an opening goal on the edge of the area to make it 1-0, 78 minutes gone.
Makenzie Kirk came on for Hayden Matthews on 87 minutes, with captain Marlon Pack dropping back into a makeshift back three.
There was an additional six minutes of added time, which saw Pack awarded with his fifth yellow, meaning he will be suspended for Saturday’s home game against Blackburn Rovers.
Pompey came close to a last-ditch equaliser when sub Adrain Segečić came extremely close to tapping in Murphy’s cross that was headed on by John Swift, but the Australian attacker's poke of the ball went over the bar.
FULL-TIME: Swansea City 1-0 Portsmouth
Next up: It’s back to Fratton Park on Saturday, for Portsmouth, who will welcome Valérien Ismaël’s Blackburn Rovers.
Rovers currently sit 20th in the table off the back of a 1-1 draw at home to fellow strugglers Oxford United, thanks to a second-half equaliser from the spot by Todd Cantwell.
Last season in PO4, it was a 1-0 win for John Mousinho’s side back in March, thanks to a Josh Murphy goal early on.
Swansea City: 22. Vigouroux (GK), 30. Galbraith (26. Casey), 5. Cabbing (C), 15. Burgess, 14. Tymon, 6. Stamenić, 17. Franco (8. Yalcouyé), 35. Ronald, 7. Widell (20. Cullen), 10. Eom (27. Inoussa), 33. Idah (9. Vipotnik) (Formation: 4-2-3-1)
Unused subs: 1. Fisher (GK), 2. Key, 4. Fulton, 16. Samuels-Smith
Goals: Cullen 78’
Bookings: Cabango 13’, Franco 45+2’
Head coach: Vítor Matos
Portsmouth: 1. Schmid (GK), 24. Devlin, 14. Matthews (25. Kirk), 17. Bowat, 22. Swanson (2. Swanson), 7. Pack (C), 8. Swift, 23. Murphy, 47. Min-hyeok (29. Blair), 36. Chaplin (10. Segečić), 49. Lang (9. Bishop) (Formation: 4-2-3-1)
Unused subs: 26. Bursik (GK), 16. Le Roux 18. Kosznovszky, 44. Sizer
Bookings: Swift 61’, Williams 67’, Pack 90+3’
Head coach: John Mousinho
Referee: Tom Reeves
Venue: Swansea.com Stadium
Attendance: 20,000 (including 1,100+ Pompey fans)
Tonight's Pompey Live: Extra-Time podcast is now available to listen back to with even more reaction to Portsmouth's defeat in South Wales.
Jake Smith will return this Friday (December 12th) evening with 2 more Blues fans to pick apart the game in greater detail and preview Saturday's clash with Blackburn Rovers at Fratton Park - The Football Hour airs 6-7pm on Express FM.
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