Blues disappointing in defeat at Bootham Crescent
Pompey slumped to a second successive defeat following a disastrous day in York.
They fell behind to Wes Fletcher’s early effort and were distinctly below-par throughout the first half.
But a positive result looked possible when Jed Wallace levelled with a fine individual goal after the break.
The mood quickly turned sour for the horde of travelling fans, however, as Lewis Montrose, Ryan Jarvis and Fletcher all struck in a 10-minute spell.
John Marquis came off the bench to net a late consolation, but it was nothing more than that.
Guy Whittingham made two changes from the side beaten by Fleetwood seven days earlier.
Wallace came in for Ricky Holmes in midfield, while Danny East replaced the injured Shaun Cooper at right-back.
With Joe Devera (hamstring) and Yassin Moutaouakil (suspended) also unavailable, academy defender Jack Whatmough was handed a place on the bench.
Wallace found some early joy down the right, but that was as good as it got for Pompey in the opening stages.
There were less than three minutes on the clock when a free-kick found its way to Fletcher inside the Blues box.
John Sullivan managed to get behind the striker’s initial shot, but the loose ball fell kindly for Fletcher to prod home from close range.
Pompey were all at sea and conceded a couple more needless free-kicks that their hosts were unable to capitalise on.
Things then got worse for the visitors, as Simon Ferry limped off injured and was replaced by Romain Padovani.
They settled as the half wore on, though, and Bondz N’Gala was inches away from connecting with Wallace’s corner on 23 minutes.
But York poured straight down the other end of the pitch, where Josh Carson’s free-kick was just too heavy for Jarvis to race onto.
Montrose then went close to doubling the Minstermen’s advantage when – just seconds after he was booked for scything down Johnny Ertl – the midfielder let fly with a dipping long-range volley that flew narrowly over the bar.
York continued to create the best chances and Jarvis stooped to meet Ryan Brobbel’s cross only for his header to be deflected wide.
Pompey had struggled to create any clear-cut chances, with a Connolly header that flew wide just before the break the best they could muster.
Half Time: York 1 Pompey 0
It was still the hosts looking more likely to score once the second half got underway.
And the Blues back-line would have breathed a sigh of relief when Carson’s deft flick from Brobbel’s cross drifted just past the post.
But Pompey seemed to have learnt from their first half display as they levelled with their first decent opportunity on 53 minutes.
It was a superb solo effort from WALLACE, who won possession and embarked on a fine run that took him past several challenge before coolly slotting the ball home.
Sullivan then kept the scores level by making a fine double save to deny both Montrose and Fletcher.
But the keeper was unable to hold on to a Carson cross on 57 minutes, allowing Montrose to restore the Minstermen’s advantage from close range.
John Marquis was immediately brought on for Patrick Agyemang, but things quickly got worse for Pompey.
First Jarvis fired neatly into the bottom corner to extend York’s lead, while Fletcher added a fourth moments later following a quick break down the right.
Sullivan limited the damage by saving smartly from Jarvis, before Wallace went close to reducing the deficit with a free-kick that was tipped over by Michael Ingham.
Pompey poured forward in an attempt to salvage some pride and MARQUIS opened his Blues account by turning home Wallace’s low cross late on.
York (4-4-2): Ingham; Oyebanjo, McGurk, Parslow (c), Davies; Carson, Whitehouse, Montrose (Platt 75), Brobbel (Puri 80); Fletcher (Bowman 80), Jarvis
Goals: Fletcher 3, 66, Montrose 57, Jarvis 64
Booked: Montrose, Oyebanjo, Whitehouse
Subs not used: Kettings, Smith, Fyfield, Chambers
Pompey (4-4-2): Sullivan; East, N’Gala, Bradley, Painter (Holmes 70); Wallace, Ertl (c), Ferry (Padovani 16), Barcham; Agyemang (Marquis 64), Connolly
Goals: Wallace 53, Marquis 88
Booked: Wallace, Painter, N’Gala
Subs not used: Smith, Whatmough, Butler, Craddock
Referee: Mark Heywood
Attendance: 4,848 (1,357 Pompey fans)