A fitful season that continues to infuriate - Neil Allen's verdict as Portsmouth slump to disappointing defeat at MK Dons

Having admirably conquered League One’s top two without conceding during their previous two fixtures, what unfolded at Stadium MK was inevitable.

Nobody can touch the Blues’ home form this season, the sole undefeated side in their division following Wycombe’s Sunday hammering at the hands of visitors Coventry.

On their travels, however, it is a different proposition.

Still, at least an MK Dons languishing in the relegation zone offered the next opposition.

Of course, the majority would have seen the galling outcome arriving well in advance, this is no example of hindsight being used to be proven right.

Victories over Ipswich and Wycombe – then a 3-1 loss at the struggling Dons.

Kenny Jackett’s men turned up in Buckinghamshire buoyed by belief that promotion aspirations were intact, lying just three points adrift of second spot.

Those 5,083 away fans present in a crowd of 12,788 would depart with an air of ‘I told you so’ – and more doubts over how far this side can progress this term.

Such is life as a Pompey follower during this fitful campaign which continues to infuriate and then cruelly ramp up hope.

Defeat was underpinned by two awful opening goals conceded by the Blues, leaked through defensive mistakes entirely against the run of play.

For 35 minutes, Jackett’s men had dominated, pressed high and suggesting a case of when, not if, they broke the deadlock.

Then Sean Raggett’s mistake from Jordan Houghton’s pump forward shipped the first goal – from that point they never recovered.

Conor McGrandles lashed in a second just seven minutes later and the match had been turned on its head as the fixture entered the interval 2-0 to the hosts.

Jackett threw on all his substitutes in the second half, the big guns of John Marquis, Gareth Evans and Brett Pitman. But still they couldn’t reverse the damage of their own making.

Alex Gilbey chipped in a third on 84 minutes, before Ronan Curtis’ consolation deep into time added on.

With two away league victories all season, Pompey’s form on the road is threatening to wreck their Fratton Park brilliance.

Their visit to the Stadium:MK was another low in that respect as Jackett’s unconvincing team depart 2019 in ninth place – two points outside the play-offs.

Jackett had made one change to the side which beat Wycombe on Boxing Day, with Marcus Harness restored to the team in the injury absence of Ryan Williams.

The Blues boss also opted to tinker with the system, employing a 4-4-1-1, with Harness playing behind the striker and Andy Cannon and Ronan Curtis the wide players.

Elsewhere, following Harness’ promotion, Jackett added defender Haji Mnoga to the bench.

The youngster recently returned from a broken toe and was last week issued professional terms as his promising progression continues.

Pompey were, however, still without Ross McCrorie, Brandon Haunstrup and Lee Brown through injury, with Williams having now joined them for the foreseeable future.

When the match got under way, within two minutes the Dons had been awarded a free-kick in a dangerous position on the edge of the area after Tom Naylor fouled Healey.

Healey took the kick himself, driving it into the wall before James Bolton and Ben Close combined to clear the danger.

At the other end, the persistence of Cannon down the right saw him emerge with the ball on the byline and pull the ball back towards Harness.

However, the winger missed his kick at the inopportune moment and the hosts eventually scrambled the ball away.

There was then confusion among the Dons’ defence when goalkeeer Lee Nicholls picked up Joe Walsh’s back pass six yards out after getting ahead of Ellis Harrison as he changed forward.

Referee Leigh Doughty correctly spotted it, much to the host players’ dismay.

But when the free-kick was touched to Curtis, his close-range shot was charged down.

It was all Pompey and when Close’s latest corner, this time from the right, fell to Cannon, his fierce left-footed shot from outside the box flashed narrowly past the far post.

Completely against the run of play, the Dons took the lead on 35 minutes.

A huge punt forward from Houghton in his own half had Raggett caught in two minds whether to head back to Craig MacGillivray, instead ballooning it up in the air, allowing Healey to intervene and slot it past the keeper.

James Bolton was appealing for a foul earlier in the build up, MacGillivray remonstrated with Raggett.

Nonetheless, the breakthrough had arrived from absolutely nowhere.

Pompey dropped further ahead on 42 minutes following awful defending once again.

Healey found himself on the edge of the box with plenty of space who squared it and, despite Naylor putting in an initial block on Joe Mason, it ran across to McGrandles, who rifled in a lovely finish to make it 2-0.

The sizeable away following were clearly stunned at what had just unfolded as the Blues went in at the break trailing in a match they had for so long dictated with comfort.

Jackett made a change at the interval, with Marquis introduced for Harrison and the team reverting to a 4-2-3-1, with Harness on the right.

Within minutes of the restart, Gilbey cut inside and his shot was superbly tipped over the bar by the left hand of MacGillivray.

Marquis had a great chance to pull one back on 52 minutes, Harness pushing the ball through and the striker sliding a shot which the keeper blocked for a corner.

From the resulting flag-kick, Curtis found himself at the far post with a glimpse of goal, but elected for a touch before Nicholls came out to block once more.

Yet the Blues remained vulnerable at the back and MacGillivray had to dive at the feet to thwart Healey yards away from the line following a Dean Lewington corner from the right.

On 69 minutes, Curtis struck a swerving right-foot effort from long range which forced Nicholls into a stunning save, with the keeper finger-tipping the ball around the post.

Jackett introduced a double substitution on 72 minutes, with Harness and Cannon replaced by Evans and Pitman.

With Evans replacing Close on set-piece duties, he immediately drove in a dangerous low free-kick which was turned behind for a Blues corner.

The Dons increased their lead in the 84th minute, breaking quickly through Gilbey, who cleverly lifted the ball over the advancing MacGillivray to make it 3-0.

Curtis grabbed a consolation during three minutes of time added on following a Bolton’s header across goal from the right, yet it wasn’t celebrated.

How could it be on a day of disappointment at MK Dons.