Terry Devlin's 86th-minute volley had barely stopped rippling the net when the real flashpoint arrived at Molineux. As the final whistle sounded, Wolves head coach Cesar Peixoto made a beeline for Portsmouth counterpart John Mousinho, words were exchanged and both managers had to be pulled apart by their respective backroom staff.

Peixoto's grievance, according to Mousinho, was straightforward. "We shook hands at the end of the game and, as we walked off, he kindly told me I talk too much," the Portsmouth manager told BBC Radio Solent. "That was it. I very politely told him I disagreed. That's my job as head coach. I don't know what it was all about."

Mousinho was unrepentant. "At the end of the game you shake hands and walk off. That's what we do. We will stick to that, but the second someone has a pop back, I think it's fair game."

Devlin seals a late leveller

The incident overshadowed a Championship contest that Wolves had looked set to win. Peixoto's side led heading into the final ten minutes, a lead that Mousinho described as "a kick in the teeth," given the defensive pressure Pompey had been forced to withstand.

Then Devlin struck. The winger met the ball on the volley and found the net with the kind of finish that has become something of a trademark. "Terry Devlin has shown us time and time again over the last few years what can happen when the ball falls to him," Mousinho said. The goal stretched Portsmouth's unbeaten run to three matches, a sequence that follows a derby defeat to Southampton.

Context makes the point significant

Portsmouth arrived at Molineux having played four matches against top-half opposition in the space of ten days, and did so carrying a clutch of injuries. Mousinho argued those circumstances made the draw more valuable than the bare result suggests.

"We've played four top sides in 10 days, and with the injuries we have, then it's a great point," he said. "15 points from the first 11 games? I'd have taken that. If you add in the fact that we were a goal down under immense pressure, then it's a brilliant result."

For Wolves, the dropped points will sting rather more. Peixoto's side were within four minutes of a home win before Devlin intervened, and the final-whistle confrontation will only add to the frustration around a result that handed a point to one of the division's promotion rivals.

What it means for the Championship picture

Portsmouth's tally of 15 points from 11 games keeps them firmly in the conversation at the top of the second tier. The unbeaten run, combined with increasingly competitive performances against stronger opposition, suggests Mousinho's side are building momentum at the right time of the season.

Wolves, meanwhile, will need to regroup quickly. Surrendering a lead so late at home costs two points in a division where the margins between automatic promotion, the play-offs and mid-table are often razor thin across the course of a campaign. Peixoto will want the focus to shift back to the pitch, and fast.

Whether Tuesday night's touchline confrontation resurfaces the next time these two clubs meet remains to be seen. Mousinho, for his part, sounded unlikely to alter his approach. "That's my job as head coach," he repeated. That much, at least, appears non-negotiable.

Frequently asked

What was the result between Wolves and Portsmouth at Molineux?
The match ended 1-1, with Terry Devlin scoring a late volley in the 86th minute to earn Portsmouth a point.
Why did Cesar Peixoto and John Mousinho clash after the game?
Peixoto approached Mousinho at full time and told him he talks too much. Mousinho said he disagreed, both managers exchanged words and had to be held back by staff.
How many points do Portsmouth have after 11 Championship games?
Portsmouth have 15 points from their first 11 Championship matches, according to John Mousinho's post-match comments.