Portsmouth 0 Doncaster 1: Neil Allen's verdict - No reasons to be cheerful, no positives to grasp, colourless Blues in a rut

Rather than donning that distinctive luminous yellow jacket and occupying his usual beat on the Victory South gate, he was instead allocated security responsibilities.

Nonetheless, Abdul’s reassuring presence signified a treasured nod to normality which is much missed during testing times.

Yet even the sunshine steward would have struggled to summon up trademark positivity to lift sagging supporter spirits following Saturday’s outcome.

Fortuitously for him, the only broadcast he was privy to was via the security cameras beaming back coverage of Fratton Park’s surroundings to his multiple monitors.

Elsewhere, the unfortunate television audience tuning into iFollow endured another frustrating afternoon in which their side struggled to convince.

There will be optimistic souls applying dazzling colours to brighten up the canvas. Nothing’s as gloomy as painted, they will preach – savour the bigger picture.

However, the cold reality is sobering.

This is not a relegation side. Far from it. During times of struggle early last season, some wailed about the inevitability of League Two football, yet the Blues rallied impressively to position themselves in fourth before lockdown intervened.

Similarly, that won’t be the outcome this term. Kenny Jackett’s men will not go down, yet neither are they presently equipped to claim an automatic promotion spot.

The likelihood is they will reside in the play-off positions, albeit a destiny to horrify a supporter base haunted by having never won eight previous fixtures in such a format.

Burton was wonderful, Southend misleading considering the calibre of opposition, while MK Dons was gritty, defensively admirable, yet wholly unconvincing.

Then there was Doncaster – a 1-0 defeat in a tight match lacking true quality in the final third from both competitors.

A draw would have been a fair result, certainly the Blues didn’t produce anything to suggest they warranted a fourth consecutive win in October.

Perhaps the goal-scoring brilliance at Burton was a blip and this is actually the norm in what has proven to be an uninspiring and mostly turgid start to the 2020-21 campaign.

Discount the Pirelli Stadium encounter and Jackett’s side have scored once from open play in their other five League One fixtures.

What’s more, the opposition faced so far are presently positioned 16th and below in the table. Incidentally, Burton reside in the relegation zone.

On paper – and taking the current standings into account – it hasn’t even been a particularly challenging opening to this season’s fixture list.

Yet here we are. A team struggling to score, lacking creative spark, 10th in the league, short on entertainment values, scrambling for an effective formation, seemingly on a rota system for the number 10 role and now equipped with one fit striker.

SUBSCRIBE today for the latest Pompey updates

If such facts are too gloomy to stomach, best pop on the film Mamma Mia to dance around the living room to. For the reality is no Super Trouper, I’m afraid.

Although the current predicament has happened on Jackett’s watch, the players must also accept responsibility, as should the owners overseeing proceedings.

Pompey are also battling to remain solvent in the face of financial challenges unparalleled in the history of the professional game, a doomsday scenario perhaps overlooked by some.

They no longer possess the spending might to rattle up transfer window signings, while falling in line with a £2.5m salary cap and squad-size restrictions.

Nonetheless, this squad assembled by Jackett and his recruitment team is locked in until January – and, crucially, has so far offered little to feel encouraged about on the field of play this term.

The club is languishing in a rut. Forthcoming trips to Gillingham and Sunderland hardly offer cause for optimism.

Still, there is plenty to prompt concern in the present without the need to dredge up depressing forecasts.

Pompey were not abject against Doncaster, this was no dismal display. Certainly defensively there were few issues and should be spared being tarred with the same brush as team-mates.

The fashionable argument for replacing Sean Raggett with Rasmus Nicolaisen is irrelevant, it will actually make negligible difference. Bigger problems lie elsewhere.

Saturday’s colourless performance was yet another painful watch. Devoid of inspiration, entertainment, flamboyancy and creativity, it was deeply dull.

The matter of being played out in empty stadiums – through no fault of Pompey’s – darkens the mood further. These are excruciating times for all.

According to match statistics, the Blues produced five shots on target. You would struggle to picture more than one of them.

Incidentally, the hosts had 56 per cent of possession, yet will be given little credit for it, despite the criticism from last week over the manner of victory against MK Dons.

Jackett had changed that winning team, with Ben Close recalled in place of Bryn Morris and Andy Cannon coming in for Michael Jacobs.

For Close, it represented a first league start in 225 days, having puzzingly been jettisoned to the extent of featuring just twice this season before Saturday.

In total, he had been granted 10 minutes of League One action in almost seven-and-a-half months.

Few would have been against his first-team return for Doncaster, while Cannon’s inclusion meant a return to the 4-2-3-1 that Jackett traditionally favours.

The outcome was a second loss in three Fratton Park matches. Before this lull, the Blues had been undefeated in the league on home soil for almost 17 months.

Not that Close should be blamed, he slotted in well to justify his selection and comes equipped with a greater goal threat than Morris, while Cannon was understandably rusty in light of his rare start.

What unfolded, though, appears to be the norm for Pompey at present – tedium.

The decisive moment arrived on 79 minutes after Marcus Harness surrendered possession down the left during a Blues attack.

Lee Brown had galloped on his outside, overlapping in hope of being given the ball to challenge Doncaster’s goal. When the move broke down, he was stranded.

Ben Whiteman spotted the space left in behind and fed substitute Josh Sims, the midfielder signed on loan from Southampton on deadline day and a former Pompey youth player.

He squared to James, who cleverly spun and curled in a sublime left-footed shot to settle the match.

And Pompey plod on in the humdrum existence this season appears to have plotted.

Want a positive? A sequel to Mamma Mia was brought out in 2018. Get dancing and singing.

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

Thank you for reading this story. The News has launched a new subscription offer which gives you unlimited access to all of our Pompey coverage.

You can subscribe here to get the latest news and transfer updates from Fratton Park - and to support our local team of expert Pompey writers.

Every subscription helps us continue providing trusted, local journalism on your behalf for our city.