Never has the popularity of a 21-year-old still to make his Pompey debut soared as high as Saturday afternoon.

Toby Steward may presently be plying his trade with St Johnstone and out of sight, yet he is far from out of the minds of the Fratton faithful amid growing clamour for his January return.

Josef Bursik is playing regularly on loan at AFC Wimbledon and did nothing wrong in his restricted Blues outings last term, while Daniel Bielica and Ben Killip remain at Fratton Park in an orderly queue.

However, with Nicolas Schmid’s form continuing to nose-dive at breakneck speed, it is a former Henry Cort Community College pupil who has emerged as the people’s hero to save the day.

No doubt humbling for Steward, who signed a Pompey three-year deal in July before reuniting with St Johnstone on a season-long loan, albeit this time in the Scottish Premiership.

Yet, in truth, the social media championing of a player possessing just four Football League outings - all with Crawley - reflects more on Schmid and the Blues’ precarious goalkeeping situation than the undisputed talents of a hugely-promising youngster.

Four goal-costing errors in five games

With two clangers against Stoke, plus similarly-punished errors at the hands of Wolves and Millwall, that’s four goals in his last five appearances the Austrian has been directly responsible for.

Having previously been dropped this season for far less, John Mousinho has a huge decision to wrestle with, irrespective of the Steward hubbub.

Summer signing Bielica had been largely unconvincing in an earlier four-game spell, finding himself last month jettisoned for the south-coast derby. Does his head coach have enough faith in the Pole to now restore him nine matches later?

The other alternative presently in the building is Killip, who featured in the final two fixtures of last season and only involvement this term is as a third goalkeeper in the squad making up bench numbers.

Certainly Schmid did himself absolutely no favours against Stoke. His first dreadful error cost Pompey the lead, thereby changing the course of the game. His second gaffe inflicted a second defeat in 11 matches.

No wonder Stoke fans were so jubilant at the final whistle as they toasted topping the Championship, albeit before their rivals were in action later in the day. After all, on 59 minutes they were tumbling towards defeat.

With Pompey’s defence comfortable - once again magnificently marshalled by Regan Poole and Madiodio Dia - their goalkeeper had barely been called into action.

Mousinho’s men were particularly outstanding in the first half, buoyed by a sixth-minute opener from Tyrese Shade, marking his maiden Blues goal on his 10th outing and accompanied by a somersault.

Squirmed through Schmid’s hands

Yet all that hard work and acrobatics came crashing down when Schmid let Ben Johnson’s inaccurate low cross from the right somehow squirm through his hands with absolutely nobody in his vicinity.

Substitute Luca Bombino hooked the ball back from the byline and Jack McGlynn crashed a shot into the roof of the net to fashion an equaliser out of absolutely nowhere.

From that point, Mark Robins’ team stepped up their game significantly, looking every inch the impressive promotion contenders really are, while the hosts dramatically faded, barely offering another meaningful attack.

In fairness, the Blues continued to keep the Potters at arm’s length, protecting Schmid as best they could, yet, ultimately, the visitors prised open another chick and ruthlessly capitalised.

When Ethan Galbraith crashed in a right-footed shot from outside the box, Pompey’s keeper dived to his right to produce a good save, except also succeeding in pushing the ball out to Ben Wilmot, who headed it into an unguarded net from six-yards out.

Boos for referee Speedie

Stoke were now 2-1 up with 13 minutes remaining and, while the Blues threw on Josh Murphy and Ryan Kavuma-McQueen in a bid to inspire a late onslaught, that finish to the game never happened.

Referee Ben Speedie was the pantomime villain, booed off after the full-time whistle following an erratic display, with memories of his failure to send off Cardiff’s Krystian Bielik on his previous visit still raw.

No such uncomfortable reaction for Schmid, although with fans demanding his removal from the first-team and the return of Steward, he is also rapidly losing support among Pompey followers.