ALBION suffered defeat on the road after falling to a 2-1 defeat against Portsmouth at Fratton Park.

Two goals down at half time after Sean Raggett's header and Michael Jacobs' shot in an eight minute spell late in the first half, Albion threatened a come back when Gassan Ahadme netted just five minutes after the break with his first goal in the Football League, but a second goal eluded the Brewers as they fell to a first ever defeat at the home of Pompey at the sixth attempt.

The quick turnaround from Saturday's defeat against Sheffield Wednesday resulted in no fewer than six changes for the trip to the south coast. Injuries deprived Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink of all of the back three from the Owls game meaning recalls for former Pompey triallist Ryan Leak and Cameron Borthwick-Jackson who linked up with Conor Shaughnessy in the defence. Whilst the wing backs remained unchanged there were recalls in the middle for Terry Taylor, after injury, Ciaran Gilligan and Michael Mancienne who also took over the captain's armband in the absence of John Brayford. Up top Ahadme, a Pompey loanee until last month, led the line supported by Joe Powell. Jacob Maddox, Harry Chapman and Louis Moult all dropped to the bench.

Pompey, looking to arrest a slump in results since the turn of the year were out of the blocks quickly, a purposeful run to the edge of the box by former Albion loanee Hayden Carter getting them on the front foot and supplying Ronan Curtis with a chance inside the penalty, his shot deflected away at the expense of an early corner.

Experienced midfielder Michael Jacobs also found room to surge forwards and fire in a left foot effort that produced a good save from Ben Garratt.

Joe Powell fired an ambitious effort across goal before a raking angled ball from Borthwick-Jackson found Tom Hamer on the right but his decision to shoot from outside the box was probably the wrong option with team mates sprinting to get into the box and support.

Mancienne found himself in referee Craig Hicks notebook when a pass from Taylor left him stretching and he felled Louis Thompson.

Jacobs threatened again with a set piece on 24 minutes picking out Ronan Curtis at the back post and when he put the ball back across the six yard box it bounced inches wide of the far post with Carter lurking looking for a final touch that didnt come.

Juts after the half hour it was the home side who edged in front when RAGGETT rose unchallenged to meet a corner from Jacobs and plant the ball beyond Garratt.

JACOBS got himself on the scoresheet four minutes from half time when he harried Powell into surrendering possession just outside his own penalty area and the Pompey man reacted quickly to slide the ball past Garratt.

With something of a mountain to climb Albion set about their task and but for a superb save from Gavin Bazunu, would have halved the deficit before half time, Ahadme laying the ball into the path of Gilligan, the academy graduate firing for the bottom corner and seeing the Manchester City loanee go low to his right to deny him a first goal in Burton colours.

Half time: Portsmouth 2-0 Burton Albion

After a strong start to the second half by the home side it was Albion who got a much needed goal and it was AHADME, against his former club, that gave the Brewers hope. Gilligan made a purposeful run down the right and his low cross came to Taylor at the back post, his low left foot shot diverted in at close range for the former Moroccan youth international's first Burton goal.

Albion continued to look bright and an attacking substitution on 63 minutes saw Taylor replaced by Chapman.

But Portsmouth showed plenty of intent to try and restore their two goal lead and only a great block from Leak denied Curtis from a rasping shot inside the box midway through the second half.

Garratt kept Albion in it a minute later when Pompey's strikers combined, George Hirst rising high to head into the path of Tyler Walker who could not quite steer the ball beyond the Burton keeper at close quarters.

Chapman was looking lively in advanced areas for the Brewers and he forced a fumbling save from Bazunu with just over a quarter of an hour remaining as Albion continued to look for an equaliser.

With the game still very muhc in the balance Albion turned to Christian Saydee for the closing stages, Mancienne the man to make way as Hasselbaink rolled his attacking dice.

A third change saw a switch of attackers as Moult took over from Ahadme for the final five minutes.

Stoppage time was well into the last of five added minutes when a near post cross was hacked off the toes of Saydee by Raggett and Albion could not profit from the final corner of the game as they ultimately came up just short after an improved second half performance.

ALBION: Garratt; Shaughnessy, Leak, Borthwick-Jackson; Hamer, Mancienne (Saydee, 82), Gilligan, Kokolo; Taylor (Chapman, 63); Powell, Ahadme (Moult, 86).
Substitutes: Kovar, Blake-Tracy, Maddox, Lakin.

GOALS: PORTSMOUTH - Raggett (33), Jacobs (41) ; ALBION - Ahadme (50)

Referee: Craig Hicks

Attendance: 13,407 (96 away)