Play-off finish now in question as dire Portsmouth thrashed by lowly Northampton

Dire Pompey face blowing a League One play-off finish as they suffered a first-half capitulation at Northampton.
NORTHAMPTON, ENGLAND - MARCH 06: Fraser Horsfall of Northampton Town scores his sides third goal during the Sky Bet League One match between Northampton Town and Portsmouth at PTS Academy Stadium on March 06, 2021 in Northampton, England. (Photo by Pete Norton/Getty Images)NORTHAMPTON, ENGLAND - MARCH 06: Fraser Horsfall of Northampton Town scores his sides third goal during the Sky Bet League One match between Northampton Town and Portsmouth at PTS Academy Stadium on March 06, 2021 in Northampton, England. (Photo by Pete Norton/Getty Images)
NORTHAMPTON, ENGLAND - MARCH 06: Fraser Horsfall of Northampton Town scores his sides third goal during the Sky Bet League One match between Northampton Town and Portsmouth at PTS Academy Stadium on March 06, 2021 in Northampton, England. (Photo by Pete Norton/Getty Images)

The Blues were woeful to a man as they were thrashed 4-1 by a Cobblers side who languished in the relegation zone at kick-off.

The home side scored all of their goals in the first period in what was a horrific defensive display from Pompey.

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Now even more pressure has piled on the already under-fire Kenny Jackett as his side have won just one of their past six games and dropped to sixth in the table.

Despite their abject display, Pompey actually started the brighter the team, with John Marquis having a header saved when picked out by George Byers.

However, that was about as good as it got as the Blues crumbled and shipped four goals in just 23 minutes.

On 20 minutes, Ryan Watson curled home a free-kick to give Northampton the lead following a needless foul from Andy Cannon.

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Three minutes later, Watson had his second of the game when he somehow headed home close range from a corner.

Things went from bad to worse for Pompey when they conceded their third of the game after just 32 minutes.

Another corner from the left wasn't dealt with as goalkeeper Craig MacGillivray failed to claim the ball off his line before Fraser Horsfall bundled home.

And just as you couldn’t imagine things couldn’t get any worse, they did. Two minutes before half-time, MacGillivray’s poor header off his line allowed Sam Hoskins to lob the keeper.

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To everyone’s surprise, Jackett made no substitutions at half-time.

He eventually would make a quadruple change that would lift things, although the game was dead and buried.

In the 72nd minute, Harvey White was tripped in the box and Ellis Harrison convered the penalty to net a consolation.

Yet the away side failed to go close to reducing the arrears any further in the closing stages and they got exactly what they deserved.

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With 14 games remaining, Pompey can write off their chances of automatic promotion.

Yet there are now concerns not even a play-off place will be yielded as the Blues’ season threatens to capitulate before them.