A dramatic end to underwhelming Portsmouth careers, yet their title-winning legacy will forever be cherished
Ultimately, there was more drama surrounding their departures than they managed to conjure up on the football pitch for Pompey.
Gavin Whyte and Anthony Scully had been paraded as marquee signings, talismanic figures dropping out of the Championship to fire the Blues out of League One.
Barely 12 months later and they departed Fratton Park in the final minutes of the summer transfer window, albeit under cover of darkness after announced well after the 11pm deadline.
Following a busy summer of recruitment, including a number of intriguing signings which could prove inspirational once again for Rich Hughes, the Blues were desperate to offload a number of out-of-favour performers.
Scully has been informed during pre-season a month earlier, never appearing in a Pompey shirt again, while the damning moment for Whyte arrived last weekend when 17-year-old Harry Clout was preferred in the 20-man squad at Middlesbrough.
Ben Stevenson was also an obvious choice to move on, following a bit-part role in the title-winning campaign consisting of one league appearance, plus possessing no previous Championship experience.
However, the midfielder remains - while Scully and Whyte’s underwhelming Fratton Park careers have reached an inevitable early conclusion.
Scully has joined Danny Cowley’s Colchester on a season-long loan and, with his Blues contract expiring next summer, his time on the south coast is effectively over.
An extremely likeable character who has been dogged by a variety of injuries, in truth the former West Ham winger never had a true opportunity to impress, with just nine outings, and none since January.
Whyte’s situation was a little more complex. Having been handed 33 appearances, he simply never performed, apart from pivotal assists against Bolton and Peterborough. He also never suggested he could turn that around.
In addition, there was the backdrop of family issues, with his wife and two young children returning to their Belfast home early into his time at Fratton Park, leaving the former Oxford United man living in Emsworth on his own.
Personable, clearly a hard worker and well respected by former team-mate Mousinho, he needed to hit the ground running this summer upon his pre-season return, yet was dogged by ill-timed injury and illness.
A low-key outing against Millwall summed up a frustratingly ineffectual Pompey career - and that would prove to be his final appearance.
Of course, there was little benefit of either remaining on the south coast, with both unlikely to be included in the 25-man squad list required to be lodged with the Football League.
Any player not registered cannot feature for his team until January, when the transfer window reopens. Scully and Whyte either had to find new clubs or condemn themselves to limbo by staying, albeit still receiving a Blues wage.
As it is, that’s the likely fate for Stevenson, with Pompey challenged to cram 28 players into the 25-man squad criteria. Stevenson won’t be on his own, though.
Still, it’s farewell to Scully and Whyte, who, for all their Blues struggles, conducted themselves professionally, with dignity and were popular members of the playing squad.
They also featured in a League One title-winning campaign, a wonderful legacy which deserves eternal gratitude, irrespective of levels of involvement.
Crucially, however, their performances for Pompey rendered them surplus to requirements, ensuring it was undoubtedly best for all parties to head separate ways in the final minutes of the transfer window.