Bournemouth 5 Portsmouth XI 2: Brilliant Welsh international destroys abysmal Blues in cup humbling

Facing a youthful Bournemouth in the Hampshire Senior Cup, the duo were among seven players named in a strong Blues side to have started in League One this season.

Certainly the visitors appeared well in command when 2-0 up through goals from Tom Lowery and Koby Mottoh capped an excellent start.

However, David Brooks, the only senior member of the Cherries’ starting XI, then seized control, registering a 12-minute hat-trick on his first start since recovering from cancer.

With Daniel Adu-Adjei also netting during that brutal period – assisted by Brooks – the hosts found themselves 4-2 up as they ruthlessly exploited some wretched Pompey defending.

Not quite the return Mingi would have anticipated in his first match action since New Year’s Day – and maiden game under John Mousinho.

Similarly, a shell-shocked Robertson, a late substitute at Bristol Rovers on Saturday, featured for 66 minutes on his first start since December.

The scoring died down in the second half, yet Adu-Adjei still managed a second as the Cherries ran out 5-2 winners to reach the semi-finals.

And a humiliating evening for a Blues side containing not only Robertson and Mingi, but also Denver Hume, Tom Lowery, Joe Pigott, Josh Oluwayemi and Michael Jacobs.

It was Pompey who broke the deadlock on 13, through a lovely goal from Lowery.

Cherries keeper Billy Terrell directed a pass to Toure Williams, only for the Blues man to nip in and intercept, before rounding the goalkeeper and rolling an angled shot into the far corner of the net.

The visitors doubled their lead on 22 minutes, with Lowery this time the architect, clipping a clever ball from the left over the top.

Mottoh did the rest, meeting it just ahead of the keeper to send a first-time shot into the roof of the net and make it 2-0.

Bournemouth pulled one back just two minutes later when Brooks’ low shot was partially saved by Oluwayemi and Dockerill blocked it on the line.

However, the Welshman had the presence of mind to follow up his initial effort and force the loose ball into the net at his second attempt to make it 2-1.

On the half-hour mark, Pompey’s lead would be wiped out completely, with the Cherries second goal in six minutes.

It emanated from a Blues corner from the left, with the hosts breaking and Adu-Adjei driving in an angled shot which entered the net via the inside of the far post.

Remarkably, Bournemouth were 3-2 up after 33 minutes, when poor defending allowed Brooks to fire in a shot from the right which took a wicked deflection off Hume and looped over the helpless Oluwayemi.

Brooks completed his hat-trick on 37 minutes, again left free on the right-hand side to stroke home a classy finish and make it 4-2 to the hosts.

Pompey breathed a huge sigh of relief when chief tormentor Brooks was replaced at the break by Michael Dacosta Gonzalez.

But the 5-2 defeat was sealed on 65 minutes when Robertson misjudged a ball over the top and Adu-Adjei showed his composure to put a shot under Oluwayemi for his second of the game.

Pompey: Oluwayemi, Quarm (47 mins Fox), Dockerill, Robertson (66 mins Murray), Hume, Lowery (71 mins Aston), Mingi, Payce, Mottoh, Pigott, Jacobs (46 mins Laidlaw).

Sub Not Used: Steward.