Pitiful Portsmouth fall to Championship low in Birmingham City shocker

Set-piece calamities did the damage as the Blues fell to an insipid 4-0 reverse at St Andrews, with boss Chris Davies under pressure going into the game.

It was a performance which raised worrying questions about John Mousinho side’s Championship aspirations, as they were handed a first-half lesson from a side who’d won one game in six ahead of the clash.

Pompey somehow made it to the break just a single goal behind, but then capitulated in five second-half minutes as the home side put the game to bed - before shipping a late fourth.

Mousinho’s team selection will be under the spotlight as he made three changes with Colby Bishop and Conor Chaplin dropped and Connor Ogilvie absent.

Ibane Bowat massively struggled at left-back on his full Championship bow, while Pompey created little of note going the other way.

It was a one-sided battering for the first 30 minutes, starting from the game’s outset as Josef Bursik saved from Marvin Ducksch after a poor clearance.

The home side were then given what appeared a slightly generous penalty, as Andre Dozzell was penalised for what ref Andrew Kitchen adjudged was a foul on Marvin Ducksch.

Jay Stansfield’s penalty to Bursik’s right was weak, however, with the keeper saving and the Birmingham missing from a follow-up cross.

The goal arrived in the ninth minute with the defending calamitous as Paik Seung-Ho was left totally unopposed to head home from a corner.

Pompey’s first threat came in the 24th minute when John Swift reversed a 20-yard free-kick just beyond the post after the midfielder was fouled by Christoph Klarer.

The Blues were hugely lucky not to be further behind such was the home side’s dominance, but Mousinho’s side finally found some cohesion and a passage of control.

Dozzell and Jordan Williams crosses were cleared before Minhyeok Yang couldn’t get on the end of long Marlon Pack throw, but it was more about Pompey limiting damage before the break - which they managed to do.

Birmingham missed another big chance four minutes after the restart as Demarai Gray miscued from a cross as Bursik did well to put off the winger.

Then the keeper excelled again with an excellent smothering save to deny Tomoki Iwata, who looked certain to score.

Pompey made a big triple change in the 53rd minute as Colby Bishop, Josh Murphy and Zak Swanson replaced Yang, Makenzie Kirk and Ibane Bowat.

That raised blue hopes, but three minutes later the home side had a killer second as Tomoko Iwata flicked home a header at the near post from a Birmingham corner.

It got worse five minutes later from another set-piece nightmare as Christoph Klarer dominated Regan Poole and headed home in the six-yard box.

Sub Kyogo Furuhashi headed home with 18 minutes left, but had strayed into an offside position.

From there the game drifted in a comfortable finale for Birmingham, with Pompey fans entertaining themselves with gallows humour as they ironically sang ‘we’ve got the ball’ when their side had possession.

The home side then twisted the knife with as Keshi Anderson fired home a deflected 20 yarder to compound Pompey’s misery.