Portsmouth's hopes of survival were given a major boost when Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs accepted the club's move into administration.

Pompey escaped being wound up after HMRC abandoned their claim that Pompey owner Balram Chainrai did not have the legal right to put the club into administration.

A spokesman for the club told Press Association Sport: "The Revenue has accepted the administration is valid."

Portsmouth now face a nine-point deduction from the Barclays Premier League for entering into administration.

HMRC's decision to drop their case was just the boost Portsmouth had been looking for after slashing 85 Fratton Park jobs.

Some members of manager Avram Grant's backroom staff were included in the cull, although none of them were high-profile.

But Pompey administrator Andrew Andronikou has promised fans that no players will be moved on ahead of the FA Cup semi-final.

Players cannot be made redundant due to protection afforded to them by the Professional Footballers' Association.

But the cancellation of loan agreements to save on wages is a consideration, with Pompey having six temporary signings on their books.