Portsmouth’s top 5 worst home defeats of the Eisner ownership ranked
Portsmouth’s 2-0 defeat to Sheffield Wednesday has been labelled as their worst home performance since John Mousinho was appointed.
Other Pompey fans have described it as the worst home defeat since the Eisners took over at Fratton Park.
Portsmouth were overwhelming favourites to beat Sheffield Wednesday, but the home side barely got out of first gear and deserved to lose the game.
Florian Bianchini got the brunt of the stick from home fans, but barely any Pompey player emerged from the game with any credit.
But was the performance really as bad as so many are suggesting on social media? Below, the Pompey News team have their say by ranking Portsmouth’s top five home defeats of the Eisner ownership.
5. Portsmouth 0 Leyton Orient 3 (13 January 2024)
Portsmouth were on the promotion trail under Mousinho in 2023/24, but Leyton Orient came to Fratton Park in January and completely dominated them.
The O’s were 3-0 up at half-time and were the better team in the second half too. This result meant that Portsmouth had only won one of their past six games, and there were real fears among fans that the wheels were falling off.
Thankfully, Mousinho’s team turned things around and ended the season as League One champions.
4. Portsmouth 0 Accrington Stanley 1 (9 May 2021)
Danny Cowley’s Portsmouth team would have been guaranteed a spot in the League One playoffs if they beat Accrington Stanley.
Stanley were in mid-table with nothing to play for, but they scored an early goal, and Pompey rarely looked like equalising.
If these rankings were based purely on fan disappointment, this match would top the list.
3. Portsmouth 1 Plymouth 2 (12 March 2025)
Portsmouth were gathering form and moving away from the relegation places in March 2025, but Plymouth came to Fratton Park and sent them back into trouble.
They went 2-0 up and looked comfortable for most of the game. Adil Aouchiche scored an 89th-minute consolation to set up a tense finish, but Pompey deserved nothing from this match.
Plymouth were bottom of the table at this time. They were dreadful away from home all season, but this didn’t stop them from doing a number on Mousinho’s side.
2. Portsmouth 0 Sheffield Wednesday 2
Pompey’s 2-0 defeat to Sheffield Wednesday last Saturday ranks second in our list. The lack of urgency from the home players was clear to see from minute one. The team perked up in the second half, but the end product from Pompey’s attackers was simply woeful.
Many of Sheffield Wednesday’s top stars terminated their contracts last summer, meaning they had to field several youth academy players at Fratton Park.
In terms of falling below fans’ expectations, this was almost the worst performance since the Eisners took over.
1. Portsmouth 1 Harrogate Town 2 (4 December 2021)
Harrogate had been in the Football League for just over a year when they travelled to Fratton Park for an FA Cup second-round tie.
Cowley’s Portsmouth side had won their previous six games before this tie, but this was a match when none of the home players seemed bothered about turning up.
Harrogate were bad, but Pompey were even worse. It looked like going to a replay until Jack Diamond scored a late winner to send the North Yorkshire side through.
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