by Neil Weld at Barcelo Montecastillo
Pompey suffered a second heavy pre-season defeat with Brighton’s comprehensive victory in Spain.
A makeshift Blues team of teenagers and trialists went three goals down early on and did well to limit the damage to five.
Goals by Will Hoskins, Matt Sparrow and Vicente put Brighton in command before substitute Dan Thompson pulled one back just before the break.
But the Seagulls wrapped things up with second-half goals from Romain Vincelot and Torbjorn Agdestein.
Pompey boss Michael Appleton made three changes from the side that lost in Gibraltar on Friday night.
Keeper Simon Eastwood and forward Luke Rodgers both missed out with knocks, so in came David Preece and Liam Walker.
Walker earned his start after impressing in the Gibraltar midfield against Pompey.
The other change saw Ashley Harris replace Julien Lopez wide on the left.
It was Brighton who made the better start and they took the lead on 11 minutes when Hoskins sent an angled drive into the bottom corner.
At the other end, Walker went close with a fierce strike from 35 yards that flew narrowly over the bar.
That effort seemed to liven up the 70 travelling Pompey fans who were singing away in the sweltering heat.
But it was the Brighton faithful who had more to cheer on 26 minutes when Sparrow’s low drive crept into the bottom corner of Preece’s net.
The Seagulls extended their lead through Vicente’s stunning strike – an effort from 25 yards out that arrowed into the top corner on 34 minutes.
Pompey were dealt a further blow when Izale McLeod was forced off following a crunching challenge from Adam El-Abd.
But his replacement, THOMPSON, pulled one back seconds before the interval, converting Lloyd Sam’s cross from the right.
Half Time: Brighton 3 Pompey 1
Any hope of a Blues comeback disappeared moments after the re-start when Vicente’s cross was headed in by Vincelot.
The Blues kept plugging away and Brian Howard just cleared the crossbar before Ashley Harris’ far post header flew inches past the post.
But Brighton still looked strong going forward and added a fifth when Agdestein was left unmarked to convert Hoskins’ cross.
A rash of second-half substitutions took the sting out of the game, but Brighton had done enough to inflict a second heavy pre-season defeat on Pompey.
Pompey: Preece (Perez 77); Dumbaya, Webster, Magri (Westwood 46), Harley (Butler 68); Sam (Wallace 46), Howard (Magri 80), Gillett (Colson 57), Harris (Harley 80); Walker (Lopez 63), McLeod (Thompson 41)
Goals: Thompson 45
Booked: Westwood
Brighton: Ankergren; Bruno (Calderon 46), Elphick (Dunk 64), El-Abd (Greer 73), Vincelot; Harley, Dicker (Bridcutt 73), Sparrow, Vicente (Buckley 64); Agdestein (Barnes 73), Hoskins (Noone 73)
Goals: Hoskins 11, Sparrow 25, Vicente 34, Vincelot 48, Agdestein 63
Subs not used: Brezovan, Kuszczak
Referee: Rafael Parrado
Photos: Paul Hazlewood