Frustrated Tyrese Shade criticised ‘sloppy’ Pompey after watching his match-winning moment end in defeat.

But he backed under-fire Nicolas Schmid after the goalkeeper’s two second-half errors gifted promotion-hunting Stoke a 2-1 victory.

The Blues were leading 1-0 approaching the hour mark, only for Schmid to let Ben Johnson’s cross slip through his fingers in a move which finished with Jack McGlynn levelling.

Then, 18 minutes later, Ben Wilmot headed into an empty net from close range to secure the win, after Schmid had pushed out Ethan Galbraith’s shot straight to him.

And a disappointed Shade, who had given the Blues a sixth-minute lead, admitted both goals should have been avoided.

‘We let ourselves down’

He told The News: ‘The first half was really good and, when we came in at half-time, the gaffer stressed to us that it can’t be 45 minutes and over. We had to keep doing what we did to get into that position.

‘Then we just conceded two sloppy goals and let ourselves down. The ones we conceded were so avoidable.

‘Stoke have their threats and we do too, we pinned them back - then they got a foot in it. Once they got one back, they just kept on pushing and the goals were a lack of concentration from all of us.

‘The second one I gave away a cheap free-kick and it dropped in the box. We as a group have to be more alive. In the Championship, teams get one chance and punish you. They didn’t cause us too many problems and twice it fell for them and it’s two goals.’

Schmid returned to Portsmouth side last month

Schmid only returned to Pompey’s side last month, having been omitted for four matches in favour of Daniel Bielica.

However, the Pole was dropped following a 2-2 draw against Blackburn, with Schmid returning for October’s south-coast derby at St Mary’s.

Since then he has made costly mistakes against Wolves, Millwall and now two against Stoke, bringing his ongoing starting XI presence under question.

Shade has been a team-mate of the Austrian since arriving from Burton on transfer deadline day in a £1.8m move.

And, from his time at Fratton Park so far, he has been impressed by Schmid’s contribution in their eight games together.

Shade added: ‘It’s not just Nico, it’s all of us together, we try to pick each other up. Since he has come into the team he’s been really good for us, I don’t think he’ll dwell on that (mistake) too much.

‘It disappointing, we worked so hard and went ahead through clever set-piece, I know it dropped to me, but it’s a well-worked goal. Then we end up losing.’