Pitiful Portsmouth crash to another numbing away thrashing at West Brom

Four goals in 19 first-half minutes saw the Blues buried in pitiful fashion, with the Baggies cruising to a 5-1 win in Tony Mowbray’s first home game in charge.

It was almost difficult to comprehend the insipid level of defending from John Mousinho’s side, while Austrian Nico Schmid was also culpable for weak goalkeeping.

The scoreline and shameful showing will again put a focus on the Pompey boss’ decision to make five changes for The Hawthorns clash, even with it clear the amount the wins over Middlesbrough and Stoke had taken out of Mousinho’s side.

The Blues actually had a good place in the game with Andre Dozzell firing a shot at Alex Palmer after just 16 seconds and Zak Swanson firing over from Matt Ritchie’s cross.

But then came the nightmare period for the Blues, beginning with Nicolas Schmid fumbling Alex Mowatt’s 20-yard drive into the net after 25 minutes.

A superb block on the line from Ryley Towler denied Grady Diangana moments later, but he was the fortunate recipient of another gift from Schmid in the 32nd minute.

The dangerous Mikey Johnson was allowed to cruise through Pompey’s defence as Marlon Pack dangled a leg, with Diangana prodding home the loose ball after Schmid spilled Johnson’s drive.

Two became three in the 37th minute when Diangana won the ball from Dozzell and freed the overlapping Pompey old boy Jed Wallace, who fired home an assured finish.

Pompey’s first-half pain was complete with an embarrassing fourth as a period of ole football ended with Mason Holgate angling a ball to Diangana, who had time to recover a loose touch before firing past Schmid.

It took 11 minutes of the second half for the fifth to arrive as Johnson continued to wreak havoc and teed up Gosport’s John Swift, who rifled a shot high into the roof of the net.

Torbjorn Heggem’s goal-line block denied Josh Murphy a goal, with new boy Thomas Waddingham also having a shot after his introduction.

And there was a goal on his English bow for the Aussie to savour, as he tapped home at the second attempt from Callum Lang’s cross in the last action of the game.