'Tough to watch': Boss' admission after youthful Portsmouth's implosion costs cup progress

A youthful Blues led Bashley in the Hampshire Senior Cup last night through Nathaniel Chioma’s first-half opener.

However, having been 1-0 up after 55 minutes, they slumped to 3-1 behind within 14 heart-breaking minutes.

There was no coming back for a side made up entirely of Academy players as Pompey struggled to respond from the set-back.

And Hudson was frustrated with how quickly they capitulated to a 3-1 loss from such a position of strength.

The Academy lead professional development phase coach told The News: ‘To lose any game when you are leading is obviously frustrating, but I felt we had some good moments in the first half, although it didn’t create direct chances as such.

‘It was almost as if the final piece in the jigsaw was missing in the final third because we had good entry numbers in good positions, it was either the last touch or the penultimate ball.

‘Then that 14 minutes was pretty tough to watch. We didn’t have the vocal personality, the on-pitch persona you need to get through tough moments like that, and that’s probably the biggest frustration.

‘For the last 15-20 minutes, we started playing again and it’s almost too late then. We need that ability, belief and character in the moments when it’s tough. If we had that after the first goal, I don't think we then concede the next two.

‘The first goal really, really knocked the wind out of us and we didn’t recover. It went in and I saw a shift in body language. I’ve not seen anyone vocal, I’ve not seen anyone chest out going “Right, we can control this. We conceded, fine, we can go again”.

‘That was the stick and twist moment - and unfortunately it went in their favour.’

Pompey’s Academy have now lost four of their five matches this season, albeit their New Forest defeat arriving against a Southern League Division One South.

And Hudson also spoke of his disappointment after his team’s impressive first-half pressing game against Bashley disintegrated after the break.

He added: ‘It was not by design to stop pressing, no “let’s run less”, if anything it was working in our favour so keep doing it.

‘We want to pride ourselves in our fitness and aggressive nature, as a football club we are an aggressive, pressing first-team.

‘It was disappointing we couldn’t quite lay that glove on them again when we had already shown we could do it.’