Pompey's dreadful away form continued when they were beaten within the first half-hour at Plymouth.
The only small consolation was that the scoreline got no worse in the last hour - but neither did it look like getting much better.
Two goals by Reuben Reid came either side of a strike from Lewis Alessandra as Plymouth found it all too easy to breach a pedestrian-looking Blues defence.
Many fans questioned Andy Awford's team selection as he ditched 4-4-2 to go with one up front and gave Nick Awford a surprise start in midfield.
Reid smashed in an early penalty after a Nicky Shorey foul, before Kelvin Mellor, a thorn in Pompey's side throughout, set up Alessandra for the second.
Reid's second meant it was over as a contest and if Pompey's aim was damage limitation after that, they at least managed that.
Boss Andy Awford was understandably downbeat afterwards, saying: 'That is not uncharacteristic of us away from home. That is the disappointing thing for me. The home form is promotion form but the away form is relegation form.
'It is not the first time it has happened and it is very disappointing. I thought we'd come through it, the last away performance at Shrewsbury was a lot more solid but we didn't deserve anything here with the way we defended in the first half.
'We left ourselves with a mountain to climb especially at a place like Plymouth where they have a very good home record. We weren't good enough, simple as that. We've got to do better on the road without a shadow of a doubt.'
Pompey go to Aldershot for an FA Cup first round replay on Wednesday and host Morecambe in the league next Saturday.
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