Magnificent Portsmouth hit season high as attacking battering obliterates Cheltenham Town

Three goals in the opening 26 minutes amid a 45-minute performance from the Blues which was as dominant as they’ve produced for a long, long time did the damage.

Then Louis Thompson rounded off a perfect afternoon in stoppage time with a peach of a 25 yarder.

The other goals came from Ryan Tunnicliffe, Michael Jacobs and Ronan Curtis, with Colby Bishop producing two assists.

Pompey’s top scorer will wonder how he didn’t get on the scoresheet himself, though, as he couldn’t convert any of the three golden chances which came his way.

The margin of victory could have been much greater such was the Blues’ dominance, with Owen Dale and Jacobs both hitting the woodwork.

Still, the vast majority of the 17,504 crowd went home enthused by what they saw as the John Mousinho era begins to really take shape.

Pompey flew out of the blocks from the outset and didn’t relent in a first half which left Cheltenham shell-shocked.

Colby Bishop should have scored after just 35 seconds when he was clean through but fluffed his lines.

It didn’t matter, though, when the front man teed up Tunnicliffe to slot home the opener from 20 yards after five minutes.

It was two 15 minutes late with Bishop again the architect with a first-time pass to Jacobs, who clinically dispatched the ball.

A wonderful run from Owen Dale then nearly made it three as he jinked into the box and cracked a left-footed drive off the bar.

The third did arrive in the 26th minute though, with Tunnicliffe the creator as he teed up Curtis to fire home from six yards.

Fratton were loving what they saw with the visitors creating nothing as Pompey had 76 per cent of the ball at the break.

They should have made it four 10 minutes after the restart when Jacobs picked out Bishop, but he blazed over from 10 yards out with the goal at his mercy.

Then the top scorer wasted another golden chance when Pompey broke three on one and Jacobs fed the striker, but he checked back and allowed Cheltenham to clear.

Aidan Keen blazed a rare Cheltenham opening over the top before Jacobs cannoned a 25 yarder back off the bar.

Then sub Thompson rounded off the afternoon in fine fashion with a gem of a 25-yard hit in stoppage time.