Any faint hopes some had of Pompey still being in with a chance of the top can well and truly be forgotten after a woeful display at York which ended in a 3-1 defeat.

Pompey's second straight loss ended their bid for automatic promotion and left the play-offs the only real route to League One - and even a place in the knockout lottery is not guaranteed yet with AFC Wimbledon and Wycombe close behind the Blues and still to play them.

Bradley Fewster headed York in front on 30 minutes after a forgettable opening half hour, then Lewis Alessandra doubled the relegation-haunted hosts' lead four minutes later.

Luke Summerfield's superb curling effort from well outside the box beat Paul Jones three minutes into the second half before Gareth Evans' low angled shot gave Pompey faint but false hope.

Wins for Accrington and Plymouth leave the top three all but out of reach and Paul Cook will somehow need to lift his troops ahead of Wycombe's visit on Saturday.

Pompey: Jones; Davies, Webster (Barton 45+1), Clarke, Stevens; Hollands, Doyle (c); Evans, McNulty (Chaplin 74), Bennett (Tollitt 66); Smith. Subs not used: Murphy, Freeman, Naismith, McGurk

Referee: Nigel Miller

Attendance: 3,214 (841 Pompey fans)

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