'I expected a bit more': Portsmouth boss criticises squad players after cup shock

John Mousinho admitted he expected more from his squad players as a much-changed Pompey were on the receiving end of a cup upset.

League Two AFC Wimbledon inflicted an embarrassing 5-2 defeat on the Blues to progress in the Bristol Street Motors Trophy on a cold Fratton Park evening.

Mousinho made nine changes to the side which surged further ahead at the top of League One against Shrewsbury on Saturday following a 3-0 victory.

It was the prized opportunity for fringe players and regular substitutes to make their mark, with many handed rare starts.

The outcome was a shambolic display, with the Dons running out well-deserved winners. 

Mousinho told The News: ‘We were pretty poor and deserved to lose the game. Obviously we made quite a few changes and that seemed to have that negative effect in terms of the performance.

‘It’s one of those difficult ones because I came into the game thinking we’d played really well with the sides that we changed against Fulham, Leyton Orient and Gillingham - but couldn’t quite get it going.

‘We conceded the first goal and the most disappointing thing about that is we didn’t react particularly well. All of a sudden we found ourselves three goals down with a mountain to climb.

‘I just expected a bit more from the squad and individuals. I will give them that it’s very difficult to come in having not had a huge amount of game time, maybe not being in the squads or not being involved.

‘Yet I have seen a similar side to this perform really well and that is probably the most disappointing thing.

‘If you haven’t had the game time and that match sharpness it can be an issue, but all the lads, pretty much to a man, have played in the league, dropping in and performing really well.

‘Some have played quite a few games in the league, so it’s tough to use that one too much. On top of that, Wimbledon made 10 changes as well.

‘I still think we’ve got a strong squad, we have players that can come in and compete in a lot of positions. For whatever reason against Wimbledon it didn’t work, but it’s not going to be anything too drastic in terms of a reaction, we’ve just got to take our medicine.

‘We were beaten by a side that are very well organised, played well, and put five goals past us. We have to take it on the chin and move on.’

Only Joe Rafferty and Kusini Yengi remained from the Shrewsbury clash, with the latter netting one of Pompey’s goals on the night.

While Rafferty switched to the centre of defence, with Sean Raggett suspended and Conor Shaughnessy rested.

Mousinho added: ‘We were always going to make changes, we have to make sure our focus is on league football, that’s where we are going to be judged at the end of the season. 

‘We have come off the back of three away games - Burton, Northampton, Shrewsbury - plus the emotion here of the Bolton game and the energy the lads brought in.

‘I thought we needed to change things, we needed a rest, so I was glad I was able to do that with the squad we’ve got.’