A poor way to finish

And the home fans who did stay to the end got to see some cracking football.

Unfortunately, 90 per cent of it came from the blue and white shirts.

Harry Redknapp's Premiership-bound all-stars handed out the most painful lesson to City's collection of youngsters and out-of-contract seniors.

It was not the way that those playing their final game for the club would like to have said goodbye.

For the first half it was a decent contest. But the second swiftly became an exhibition for Pompey to parade the skills that have seen off pretty much all before them.

City had no answer to Paul Merson, Steve Stone, and in particular, the devastating finishing of Svetoslav Todorov.

"Too many players lost their shape and their discipline," Nicky Law admitted afterwards. "There are two sides to this game, one when you've got the ball and one when you haven't and too many of my players didn't want to do the dirty bit when they didn't have the ball.

"If you do that against quality players like Portsmouth have got they will make you pay and that's what happened.

"Some of Portsmouth's one-touch play and movement was exceptional. Todorov is a class act. Maybe if we'd had him up front for us it could have been a different game."

City's best chance of causing a last-day upset was catching the champions treating it as a testimonial. With the title safely locked away in the Fratton Park trophy cabinet, there was a school of thought that Portsmouth would treat this as a bit of a knees-up.

If City could get at them early then maybe, just maybe ...

Unfortunately the Bantams have forgotten how to score. Once again they fired a blank for the fourth successive match, nine goalless halves in all.

Just like the Sheffield United game five days earlier, they had the chances.

Andy Gray was just a squeak away from crowning his player of the year award with a first-minute free-kick and Robert Molenaar twice went close with headers. Had one of them beaten Shaka Hislop, City might have given the champions a run for their money.

Instead in a repeat of Bramall Lane they were given another clinical lesson in making it count when it matters.

Admittedly, Portsmouth's first goal had a slice of fortune about it.

It was probably written in the script that Gianluca Festa would mark his final game by breaking his scoring duck for the club.

His team-mates all turned out in white boots made by the defender's sports firm as a tribute to the homeward-bound Italian. And Festa repaid the compliment by driving in the first after 20 minutes - although Aidan Davison had no chance once the ball deviated decisively off Claus Jorgensen's right in-step.

But suddenly it was a different game and Yakubu seized on a blunder by the out-of-sorts Molenaar to whip in a shot out of nothing which wedged under Davison's prone body.

Ben Muirhead, City's brightest performer in a more fluid roving midfield role, forced a save out of Hislop at the other end. But the lid was just about to be blown off.

Pompey swapped keepers at the break to give Japanese international Yoshi Kawaguchi his first action of the season.

But by the time City had a first chance to test the back-up keeper, the visitors were already

3-0 up and disappearing over the hill.

Todorov cleverly worked a one-two with one-time England winger Stone and sliced open City to get off the mark. And within two minutes, the Bulgarian moved level with Nottingham Forest's David Johnson as the division's top marksman with a far-post nudge after Yakubu had crossed into the danger zone.

Molenaar waved a sad farewell as Law tried to plug the leak before City twice saw hopes of at least one reply thwarted by the woodwork.

Gus Uhlenbeek swerved a rocket against the inside of the post and then Mark Bower bounced a cross from Andy Myers off Kawaguchi's bar.

City's luck was out and further confirmation, if it was needed, arrived after 58 minutes when Portsmouth were given a penalty for David Wetherall's tackle from behind on Todorov. Referee, and former City player, Steve Baines was unmoved but his assistant saw it otherwise and the spot-kick was awarded despite furious protests from the home skipper.

Todorov dusted himself off and sent Davison the wrong way from the spot to wrap up his hat-trick and the First Division golden boot with his 26th goal.

Again City had a sniff as Danny Forrest cut past Arjan De Zeeuw but saw his near-post jab bounce clear off the keeper's body.

That was the youngster's final action and before the home cheers for their young favourite had died down, the massed Pompey chorus was in full voice once more.

The fifth goal was the best of the lot as Todorov turned provider with the pass that Stone lashed first-time over Davison's right shoulder and into the roof of the net.

Portsmouth were now three goals off reaching 100 for the season. "We want six" screamed their fans from the top of the Sunwin Stand, "we want one" came the muted reply from one of the City executive boxes beneath them.

Pompey poured forward like a under-tens team who all want to shoot instead of passing. But thankfully City's goal survived further damage - and Gray could have pulled back the scantest of consolations with a cross-shot that beat the keeper and the far post.

Then it was over and just time for both sets of players to return for a lap of honour and a few home idiots to spoil it by swinging on the crossbar in front of the Kop.

The season's objective has been achieved, they've stayed up after all. But I don't think any Bantams fan will be too upset to see the back of it.