Portsmouth 3 Exeter City 2: Neil Allen's verdict on a nail-biting night of drama as Blues' season hits another high

Kenny Jackett’s men headed into five minutes of time added on facing defeat, a Fratton Park humbling at the hands of a mix-and-match Exeter side.

Christian Burgess’ own goal on 89 minutes looked the end, 2-1 down and a first EFL Trophy defeat since January 2018 beckoned, no Wembley reunion after all.

Then the fightback arrived.

Firstly Cameron McGeehan, a scorer in the previous round against Scunthorpe, repeated his trick, lifting a left-footed shot over Lewis Ward for the leveller.

Thoughts suddenly turned towards a penalty shoot-out, with no extra-time allocated in the Leasing.com Trophy. Perhaps Pompey could progress in the same manner they won the trophy against Sunderland.

They weren’t required, a final spot of drama occurred six minutes into time added on.

Ronan Curtis collected Tom Naylor’s flighted pass on the left and delivered a wonderful left-footed cross which met by substitute John Marquis’ header at the far post.

The winner, arriving beyond last gasp, had sent the EFL Trophy holders back to the home of football.

A pulsating finale to a largely disappointing fixture in front of a 14,735 crowd, but surely what went before was all forgotten.

The semi-final occasion sprang to life when Jake Taylor’s 79th-minute strike threatened an upset, but Marcus Harness levelled four minutes before time.

The League Two promotion candidates once more had their hopes raised when Burgess put through his own net on 89 minutes.

The fourth official indicated five minutes of time added on – by the final whistle Pompey were off to Wembley.

Jackett declined to rotate his side for the encounter, despite possessing a sizable squad largely unaffected by injury.

There were just two changes to those on duty in Saturday’s 2-0 triumph over Shrewsbury which maintained a League One position of sixth.

Ross McCrorie was rewarded for his substitute impact in that match, having created Ellis Harrison’s opener, and named in place of James Bolton at right-back.

The other alteration was Ben Close coming in for Gareth Evans, who dropped out of the 18-man squad entirely after starting against the Shrews.

Elsewhere, Oli Hawkins was brought onto the substitutes’ bench having failed to make the last five squads.

The big striker, of course, registered the penalty which saw the Blues capture the Checkatrade Trophy at Wembley in March 2019.

Meanwhile, the selection of Alex Bass ahead of Craig MacGillivray represented a telling statement in the battle of Pompey’s goalkeepers.

In addition, Jackett elected not to rest Ronan Curtis, instead handing him his first Leasing.com Trophy appearance of the campaign.

In contrast, Exeter made 10 changes to the side which won 3-2 at Macclesfield at the weekend to remain second in League Two.

They included three players who have recently been on loan to non-league clubs – Gary Warren (Torquay), Jordan Dyer (Tiverton) and Harry Kite (Taunton).

When the match got underway, Pompey threatened on eight minutes after Curtis pulled the ball back from the left, only for Harrison to completely miss his kick.

Cameron McGeehan was following up, but a tremendous block from Joel Randall prevented the midfielder from connecting with a follow up, the ball deflecting for a corner.

Then, on 13 minutes, Harrison retained possession of the ball while surrounded by two defenders and nudged it outside to Curtis.

However, the winger blazed a left-footed shot over the bar from a strong position.

Harrison’s participation ended in the 24th minute, finally succumbing to a leg injury which had already caused two stoppages in play after crumpling to the ground.

His substitution was inevitable, with John Marquis instead introduced into the action in the lone striking role.

The match was struggling to spark and when McGeehan cleverly picked out Harness inside the box, the winger’s angled first-time pass flew across the face of goal with no-one to make contact.

Exeter had barely threatened Bass, yet, in a little flurry before half-time, Joel Randall’s shot struck Steve Seddon, then Lee Martin lashed a right-footed follow-up well wide.

After the interval, Alex Fisher collected the first booking of the match after a lunge on Christian Burgess, which floored the defender.

A succession on corners down the right, delivered by Seddon, posed problems and when the keeper failed to clear another period of pressure, Marquis’ header was hacked off the line.

The striker appealed for the ball having crossed, but the referee wasn’t interested.

On 54 minutes, Hawkins was introduced by Jackett, replacing Close as the Blues stepped up their attacking strength.

Warren earned a yellow card on 58 minutes after taking out Marquis as he surged upfield having intercepted an Exeter attack.

Hawkins was having a favourable impact since his entrance and he cleverly flicked Naylor’s pass to Marquis, who created space before blazing a right-footed shot well over the bar.

There was more impetus about the hosts yet still they were struggling to carve out goal-scoring opportunities, often falling with the final ball.

In a moment which summed them up, Harness took a poor touch when controlling a pass and then overhit a right-wing cross which Curtis somehow kept in on the far touchline.

The Grecians were offering very little, yet were far too comfortable in defence.

On 71 minutes, Harness pulled the ball back from the right and Hawkins unleashed a fierce first-time shot which Lewis Ward somehow kept out with brilliant instinctive save.

The Blues were pressing and next McGeehan slipped in Harness and his angled drive flashed just wide of the far post.

The deadlock was finally broken on 79 minutes – and it went to Exeter.

A corner was delivered from the left, with Bass making a hash of his punch, the ball bouncing free before crashed home by Taylor for a wonderful finish.

Fratton Park erupted on 86 minutes when Harness pounced for the leveller.

Marquis pushed the ball out to Curtis on his left and, when his shot was blocked on the line by a defender with the keeper beaten, there was Harness to net left footed.

But there was still drama to come on 89 minutes when Joel Randall crossed from the left and Burgess stretched out a foot and touched it past Bass for an own goal.

There remained five minutes of time added on to negotiate – and McGeehan needed to have his say.

Handed the ball on the edge of the Exeter penalty area, he produced a deft left-footed lob over Ward and into the Fratton end net.

Still Pompey pushed for the winner – and it came.

Naylor surged forward before flighting a ball over to Curtis on the left, his control was excellent and he delivered a left-footed cross to the far post, where Marquis headed home the winner.

April 5 – Pompey are back at Wembley.