Abject Portsmouth's league woes deepen with bleak Bolton Wanderers defeat

Goals from Dion Charles, Kieran Lee and Eoin Toal did the damage with poor defending and a Josh Oluwayemi error gifting the play-off chasers the points.

It means it’s now 10 League One games without a win and one success in 15 for the foundering Blues.

The result also means interim head coach Simon Bassey’s team are now seven points from the League One drop zone and nine points off the play-offs.

Pompey look a side bereft and quality with the performance shining the light on the need for a quick head coach appointment.

It was the home side who started on the front foot with Josh Oluwayemi claiming Connor Bradley’s flick at goal in the eighth minute.

Joe Morrell then spared Denver Hume’s blushes as he blocked Randell Williams’ shot with Oluwayemi holding Bradley’s follow up.

Hume was culpable for daydreaming as Charles opened the scoring in the 15th minute, with Sean Raggett also playing the striker onside. That allowed Charles to fire home after his original effort was well saved by Oluwayemi.

Raggett couldn’t react to Connor Ogilvie’s cross shot 10 minutes later and fired well over, with Michael Morrison heading wide from Michael Jacobs’ cross as Pompey finally mustered some threat.

Things got worse for Pompey and Oluwayemi seven minutes after the break as Bolton doubled the lead. The keeper spilled Kyle Dempsey’s cross allowing Lee to rifle the ball into the net.

Jacobs’ shot was deflected for a corner from Dales’ cross before Colby Bishop’s volley was saved by James Trafford.

Nlundulu was then given the freedom of the Pompey box but his header was pushed around the post by Oluwayemi.

Toal then made it 3-0 with 19 minutes remaining, as he was afforded the space to fire home from the edge of the box.

From there is was cruise control for the home side with Pompey barely laying a glove on Bolton over the finale of a terrible display.