Dane Scarlett’s goal just before half-time has given Portsmouth a 1-0 half-time lead over the Blues at Portman Road in this evening’s Papa Johns Trophy round-of-32 tie, while Town also lost Marcus Harness to injury.
Panutche Camara and Greg Leigh both started for the Blues as boss Kieran McKenna made seven changes from the team which won 2-0 at Exeter on Saturday.
Vaclav Hladky was in goal with Richard Keogh coming into the centre of the backline with George Edmundson on the left and Luke Woolfenden on the right.
Kane Vincent-Young was on the right and Leigh, making his first appearance since his compression fracture of his leg, was on the left.
Skipper Sam Morsy and Cameron Humphreys were the central midfield pairing with full Town debutant Camara and Marcus Harness, facing his old club, behind lone central striker Kayden Jackson.
Pompey also made seven changes with ex-Blues loanee Ryan Tunnicliffe, Josh Oluwayemi, Kieron Freeman, Bury St Edmunds-born Michael Morrison, who skippered, Denver Hume, Reeco Hackett and Ronan Curtis all starting.
Town went close to going in front in only the second minute. Harness laid the ball back to Morsy on the edge of the box on the right and the Egyptian international chipped a cross to the far post where Leigh dived in to head goalwards only to find Pompey keeper Josh Oluwayemi in his way.
The Blues threatened again in the fourth minute, Camara winning a tackle on the right of the area and Harness crossing for Jackson, who helped the ball towards goal from a tight angle but Oluwayemi again saved.
A minute later, Harness brought the ball forward before striking a 25-yard effort which smashed against Camara.
Town continued to dominate and in the 10th minute, Leigh crossed from the left to Vincent-Young beyond the far post. The former Colchester man was unable to take the ball down cleanly but it fell to Jackson, who turned a shot over the bar.
Portsmouth struck their first shot of the game two minutes later, but Owen Dale’s effort flew well wide of Hladky’s right post.
On 19, Hackett was played in on the right of the box, checked back and hit a low cross which Hladky claimed comfortably.
A minute later, as Town attacked, Harness went down with what looked like a knee injury after a challenge midway inside the visitors’ half. After treatment, the forward was led off the pitch on the far side and gingerly made his around the perimeter to the tunnel, adding to the Blues’ already considerable injury concerns.
On 24 Zanda Siziba replaced him, making his sixth senior appearance and his second from the bench in the Papa Johns Trophy this season.
The majority of the game was still being played in and around Portsmouth’s area and on 28 Oluwayemi juggled a cross from the right but the ball failed to fall for Leigh.
As the half moved into its final 15 minutes, Leigh, who had enjoyed an impressive return, stood up a cross from the left. It was just too high for Jackson, who may have left Camara unsighted and the Guinea-Bissau international headed wide when he should have scored.
In the 35th minute, after a spell in which the Blues had shown some hesitancy in passing out from the back and Portsmouth had spent time in the Town half, Siziba shot just over from the edge of the area after Jackson had laid the ball back to him having been sent away by Humphreys and pushed wide by Morrison.
On 39, Portsmouth broke following a Town attack and Dale hit a 20-yard shot through to Hladky.
Three minutes later, Pompey went in front. Edmundson played a sloppy pass into the path of Dale, allowing him a run towards the Town goal on the right. The former Rangers man got back to hold the Crewe man up, but he played the ball across the box to Scarlett on the left, who picked it up as Woolfenden slipped and then hit a low shot beyond Hladky and into the net off the inside of the post.
The visitors might have scored a second as the half moved into injury time, Keogh this time surrendering possession and allowing Reeco Hackett to burst forward on goal before cutting inside to Dale, whose shot was well stopped by Hladky.
Pompey had another chance soon afterwards when Scarlett was found in space to the right but his chip didn’t have enough height to beat Hladky, who again saved.
There was still time for Town to claim a penalty for handball after Vincent-Young brought the ball back into the area after an Edmundson shot was blocked. Seconds before the whistle, Morsy was booked for a foul on Scarlett.
Having been on top and well in control for the most part, Town’s performance had unravelled in the final few minutes and Portsmouth could conceivably have gone in three goals in front rather than just the one.
Having given away the goal, which was the result of an error and then a slip, Town seemed to completely lose their composure at the back, gifting possession to the visitors and allowing them two more chances which Hladky did well to save.
Prior to that, the Blues had been in well charge with Leigh’s early effort and Camara’s header their best opportunities.
Town: Hladky, Keogh, Woolfenden, Edmundson, Vincent-Young, Morsy (c), Camara, Leigh, Humphreys, Harness (Siziba 24), Jackson. Subs: Coleman, Burgess, Agbaje, Armin, Burns, Ladapo.
Portsmouth: Oluwayemi, Hume, Ogilvie, Tunnicliffe, Curtis, Freeman, Dale, Hackett, Scarlett, Mingi, Morrison (c). Subs: Griffiths, Swanson, Robertson, Bishop, Raggett, Koroma, Gifford. Referee: Tom Nield (West Yorkshire).