Play-off Wembley heartbreak for ex-Portsmouth midfielder as Exeter thumped by Northampton

The French midfielder was on the losing side as 10-man Exeter were trounced 4-0 by Northampton in the Wembley final.

Ryan Watson, Callum Morton, Sam Hoskins and Andy Williams were the scorers as Keith Curle’s troops booked themselves a place in League One next season.

Atangana started for the Grecians, before replaced in the 61st minute by Jack Sparkes, with his side already 2-0 down.

Crucially for Exeter, defender Dean Moxey had been dismissed two minutes earlier for an ugly challenge on Watson – and there was no way back.

It was a 32nd appearance of the season for Atangana, following a summer switch from Cheltenham.

Now aged 30, the midfielder arrived at Pompey in June 2014 after recruited from the Hawks by Andy Awford.

He totalled 48 appearances at Fratton Park, scoring once, before sold by Paul Cook to Leyton Orient in January 2016.

There was, however, joy for former Pompey loanee David Cornell, who was on Northampton’s bench.

The goalkeeper spent a month at Fratton Park during the 2014-15 season, serving as an unused substitute in five matches under Awford.