'I will take complete responsibility for it': Danny Cowley on shocking Portsmouth's abject defeat to Ipswich

For consecutive matches the Blues have shipped four goals during League One batterings to alarm the Fratton faithful.

Ipswich tonight inflicted a 4-0 defeat on a Pompey side which shockingly lacked fight and passion after conceding in the 41st-minute.

Gavin Bazunu’s dreadful mistake gifted Macaulay Bonne that opener – and from that point the Blues yet again capitulated.

It leaves them 17th in League One, four points above the relegation zone, as their worrying run of form continues.

And afterwards, Cowley admitted the performance was ‘unacceptable’.

He told The News: ‘It was unacceptable, we were shamed – and I will take complete responsibility for it.

‘It’s my job to make sure the players are in the right place to perform at their best and they were well short.

‘There’s a weakness in our group when things go against us. For 40 minutes it was a competitive League One game, there’s very little in it, then we make a mistake which leads to a goal.

‘It’s not the goal which cost us the game, it’s the way we responded. We didn’t show anywhere near the qualities in that moment.

‘Every single person within our group has the responsibility of going away, looking at themselves and seeing what more they can give to help this team.

‘In the moment of difficulty and adversity we don't have anywhere near the solutions that we need. Sometimes it’s hard to put in what God left out.

‘We were well short in terms of the qualities I would expect from my players.

‘Until the opening goal it was a competitive League One game with very little in it against a very good team.

‘But as soon as anything goes against us, we fold.’

Those of Pompey persuasion among the 16,301 crowd stuck by their team throughout and remained patient.

The gallows humour even stretched to chants of ‘We kept the ball’ from the Fratton End, pointing to the rare occasions they did during the awful second half display.

Inevitably there were boos directed at the players and head coach at the final whistle, while Paul Cook enjoyed his first win over his former club.

And Cowley paid tribute to the Fratton faithful for sticking by them.

He added: ‘That’s what they do here, they love their football, they are proud of their football club, and they are proud of their city.

‘We as a football club let them down, we let them down.

‘It’s really hard for me to stand here and say that. It’s not through the want of trying, but we let them down.’

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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