Pompey's 2018 home form goes from bad to worse - it's now six Fratton games since the turn of the year that have yielded only two points.

Gillingham were the latest League One team to take advantage of the Blues' fragile confidence as they recovered from being 1-0 down at the interval to win 3-1.

The home stands were half-empty by the end of the game as Pompey fans voted with their feet at this latest Fratton failure.

It was a much-changed Pompey line-up. Jack Whatmough, Kal Naismith, Connor Ronan and Sylvain Deslandes were all back in the starting line-up as Conor Chaplin, Matty Kennedy and Adam May missed out - along with Oli Hawkins, who had been injured in training.

The Blues were much the better side early on and deserved the lead given them by Jamal Lowe on 19 minutes after Dion Donohue and Naismith set him up.

They should have added to the lead before half-time but missed two or three good chances - and then paid the price in the second half.

Ex-Pompey loan striker Conor Wilkinson put Gillingham on level terms three minutes into the second half with a lovely run and excellent finish.

That seemed to drain Pompey's confidence and 18 minutes later the Gills were ahead when Lee Martin curled home a cross-come-shot from well outside the box.

Martin doubled his tally and made the points safe 10 minutes from time with a fine shot from long-range - and that was the signal for plenty of home fans to head for the exits.

Boss Kenny Jackett told the club website: 'Gillingham started the second half very well and I understand the strikes they had were particularly impressive. But we need to cope with periods of pressure without conceding. It’s something we’re not doing and it’s costing us.

'We can talk about the quality of their strikes, but it’s just too many goals that we’re conceding of late. They were avoidable and it gave us a mountain to climb at the end.'

Pompey: McGee; Whatmough (Chaplin 76), Burgess, Clarke; Walkes, Ronan, Close, Donohue, Deslandes (Haunstrup 65); Lowe, Naismith. Subs not used: Bass, Widdrington, May, Smith, Kennedy

Referee: Carl Boyeson

Attendance: 18,247 (1,551 away fans)

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