It is a knockout contest between two sides who know that one of football’s biggest prizes is drawing ever closer. No, forget about tonight’s World Cup contest between Argentina and Croatia, there is a much more important fixture taking place on Portsea Island. Pompey host League Two side Stevenage in the Papa Johns Trophy this evening (7pm kick-off), with the victors just two more wins away from a trip to Wembley. After finishing as runners-up in Southern Group B, Danny Cowley’s men saw off Ipswich last month to reach this stage of the competition. Their next opponents topped their own pool with a 100 per cent record – finishing above League One sides Peterborough and Wycombe in the process. Boro then beat Arsenal’s under-21s 3-2 on home soil, courtesy of goals from David Amoo, Dan Sweeney and Arthur Read. They also made it through to round three of the Carabao Cup and only exited to Charlton on penalties. Meanwhile, successes over non-league Gateshead and King’s Lynn mean the Hertfordshire outfit have an FA Cup trip to Aston Villa to look forward to in the new year. Securing promotion will be the ultimate aim, however, and Stevenage are sitting comfortably in second spot, with a huge 10-point gap over Barrow, who lead the play-off pack. In the event of a draw after 90 minutes, tonight’s tie will be settled by a penalty shoot-out. TEAM NEWS Danny Cowley is hoping to have some of his injured party available again, with Michael Jacobs (hamstring) nearest to being available. Tom Lowery (hamstring) and Louis Thompson (leg) are back on the grass, but this game could come too soon. The are also doubts over Kieron Freeman (calf) and Zak Swanson (stomach), while Joe Rafferty (stomach) and Jayden Reid (knee) remain sidelined. Stevenage boss Steve Evans has intimated that he will make numerous changes from the side that drew with Mansfield in the league at the weekend. HEAD TO HEAD Overall Pompey: 4 wins Stevenage: 5 wins 2 draws At Fratton Park Pompey: 1 win Stevenage: 1 win 2 draws OFFICIALS Referee: Neil Hair Assistants: Daniel Flynn and Adrian Tranter Fourth Official: Sunny Gill TICKETS Pompey fans can secure tickets in the South Stand online here or by visiting the Anson Road ticket office. They will also be available from the booth behind the Fratton End this evening. If you are travelling to the game, please be aware of the rail strikes that are taking place around the country. Please note that no programme has been produced for this fixture and the Victory Bar will be closed. Kiosks 11 and 15 are open for fans to purchase refreshments. MATCH COVERAGE Supporters at home and abroad can watch the contest live by purchasing an iFollow match pass and visiting the match centre. Domestic iFollow subscribers can also enjoy audio commentary from Andrew Moon and Mark Kelly as usual, but will need to purchase a match pass if they want to watch the game. Click here for more information about using iFollow on a matchday and click here for information on downloading the app, so you can access content on your mobile device. We will have updates throughout the game on Twitter and the match centre. You can also see behind-the-scenes content on our Instagram story. There will be post-match reaction on the website and our official YouTube channel, with highlights to follow on Wednesday. Local listeners can hear commentary by tuning in to either Express FM or BBC Radio Solent (not available online). BETTING Pompey are the 10/11 favourites with VBET to progress inside 90 minutes, while the visitors can be backed at 29/10.
Half time, and it's 1-0 to Pompey against a useful looking Stevenage side. Jay Mingi scored a lovely solo goal in the 37th minute, nutmegging a defender, and then firing in a shot which Chapman failed to save. That was a well deserved first Pompey goal ! Owen dale was booked in the 19th minute for a foul.
Half Time Match Stats:- Possession: Pompey 61% Stevenage 39% Shots: Pompey 4 Stevenage 4 On Target: Pompey 2 Stevenage 1 Fouls: Pompey 5 Stevenage 7
Final whistle. Comfortable 3-0 home win to Pompey. Josh Koroma scored in the 59th minute, then after 90 + 4 minutes, Joe Pigott fired home a superb free kick, after being chopped down from behind. Pompey had keeper Josh Oluwayemi booked for time wasting. Danny Cowley utilised all five substitutes in the second half, being a triple change in the 61st minute, with Sean Raggett for Clark Robertson/Marlon Pack for Jay Mingi/Michael Jacobs for Reo Hackett. Then in the 70th minute, Ronan Curtis for Josh Koroma and Ryan Tunnicliffe for Joe Morrell. Our prize money for reaching the quarter finals is a massive £40,000 !, which should go straight into the transfer kitty for January.
Final Match Stats:- Possession: Pompey 60% Stevenage 40% Shots: Pompey 17 Stevenage 14 On Target: Pompey 7 Stevenage 5 Fouls: Pompey 11 Stevenage 14 Corners: Pompey 7 Stevenage 2
please log in to view this image The draw for the quarter-finals of the Papa Johns Trophy takes place on Thursday (December 15). It will start at approximately 11.45am on Talksport, with the competition no longer regionalised. The draw will be conducted by Kenny Jackett, who led Pompey to Wembley glory against Sunderland in 2019. Quarter-final ties are scheduled to be played in the week commencing January 9. No...... Team 1 Accrington Stanley 2 Bolton Wanderers 3 Bristol Rovers 4 Cheltenham Town 5 Lincoln City 6 POMPEY 7 Plymouth Argyle or AFC Wimbledon 8 Salford City or Port Vale
What is your problem, Lapras ?! All of the remaining Premier League under 21 sides have been knocked out now, so just Division one and two sides remain. You have made this comment without a single word of praise aimed at Pompey for their fine performance and win. Very disappointing response, if you ask me.........
But the PL teams will be back next season, and the season after that, and the season after that. The fact that they've been knocked out this time doesn't change the fact that they're now a staple of this competition which has been completely devalued and undermined by their presence. And any time a PL team gets through the group stage or win a knock out game, they're denying a league one or two club the opportunity to play at Wembley. It's nothing personal against Portsmouth, just a mixture of hatred of what this competition has become and frustration that despite our awful league form, we always seem to do well in this competition.
Awful league form? We are only just out of a play off position, so not all bad news for Pompey!! You have changed since you obviously switched your allegiance to Southampton, haven't you?!
Awful might be a bit hyperbolic but we've won one league game since September, thankfully we had a great start to the season. Admittedly we've had a few cup games in that time but still. Though of course it's still relatively early in the season so plenty of time to bounce back. As for supporting Southampton, never... Plus I've not changed really, I've always hated the EFL trophy since they added the u21 teams
