Portsmouth’s search for their first Championship win of the season continued in agonising fashion as they were thrashed 6-1 by a rampant Stoke City.
Tom Cannon was the star of the show, scoring four times as John Mousinho’s side were overrun in a devastating display from the Potters. The result keeps Pompey in the bottom two, and seemingly set for a season of stuggle.
Stoke opened the scoring after just 13 minutes when Cannon, on loan from Leicester City, curled a sublime 25-yard free-kick past a helpless Will Norris. Pompey had struggled to find their rhythm, and the early goal was a sign of the onslaught to come. The free-kick dipped just in front of Norris, who managed to get a hand to the ball but couldn’t keep it out.
Portsmouth, to their credit, responded with their best moment of the match. A swift counter-attack saw Josh Murphy burst forward down the wing before squaring to Mark O’Mahony, who calmly slotted home from 12 yards in the 29th minute. It was a rare moment of joy in a match where Stoke dominated, and O’Mahony’s first goal for the club brought a brief glimmer of hope.
But that hope was short-lived. Stoke quickly regained control, with Cannon restoring their lead just before half-time. Sam Gallagher played a perfectly weighted through-ball, and Cannon’s near-post finish left Norris with no chance. Just minutes later, the game was all but over. A poor pass from Norris was intercepted by Andrew Moran, who found Gallagher on the edge of the box. Gallagher made no mistake, smashing his effort past Norris to make it 3-1 in first-half injury time.
Any thoughts of a Portsmouth comeback were swiftly extinguished in the early moments of the second half. Portsmouth’s defensive frailties were exposed once again when Cannon was brought down in the box by Norris after a moment of hesitation from Murphy. The striker stepped up to take the penalty and completed his hat-trick with ease, sending Norris the wrong way.
Stoke’s dominance continued unabated, and just three minutes later, Cannon bagged his fourth goal. Bae Junho, who had been a creative force for Stoke throughout, pulled the ball back to Cannon, who drilled a low shot across goal and into the bottom corner.
Portsmouth, reeling from the barrage of Stoke attacks, had no answer as the Potters added a sixth moments later. Junho was again involved, feeding the ball to Moran, who fired a powerful effort from 20 yards to complete a five-minute blitz that left Pompey shell-shocked.
The second-half collapse was particularly alarming for Mousinho’s side, who had been hoping to kickstart their season after several hard-fought draws. Despite keeping Stoke at bay for the remainder of the match, the damage was already done. The defeat leaves Portsmouth winless in their first eight league games and second from bottom in the Championship, sitting only above Cardiff City on goal difference, which also took a significant hit.
For all the talk of potential in this Portsmouth squad, this performance will raise serious questions about their ability to compete in the Championship. Defensive lapses and a lack of composure in key moments have haunted them so far this season, and this heavy defeat will only deepen the concerns at Fratton Park.
O’Mahony’s goal, a well-taken finish following a rapid break, ended up as nothing more than a consolation. It briefly lifted spirits but wasn’t enough to turn the tide as Stoke took control with their ruthless finishing and incisive attacking play.
The defeat marks a worrying trend for Portsmouth, who will now have to dig deep to find solutions as the pressure mounts on Mousinho. While Stoke celebrated their first league win under new head coach Narcis Pelach, the Pompey faithful will be left questioning how their team can bounce back from such a bruising defeat.
With the international break on the horizon, Mousinho will hope to regroup and iron out the issues plaguing his side. The coming weeks will be crucial in determining whether Portsmouth can find a way out of their current slump or if they will remain mired in the Championship relegation zone.
The one-sided scoreline belies moments where Portsmouth showed promise, but those glimpses of quality were few and far between in a match dominated by a clinical Stoke City, who ruthlessly took advantage of every opportunity. For Pompey, the road ahead looks long and fraught with challenges.
