Portsmouth 3 MK Dons 2: Neil Allen's verdict - Jay Mingi's remarkable progress continues at pace with another mouth-watering display

It was back in July when a Pompey XI comprising youngsters and out-of-favour seniors encountered Bognor in pre-season, with their head coach juggling incoming messages of progress over Colby Bishop’s transfer.

Featuring in midfield that evening, Jay Mingi and Ryan Tunnicliffe represented the visitors’ fifth and sixth-choice, although at that stage who bore which tag is open to debate.

Now, four-and-a-half months later, Mingi is flourishing as a first-team regular, with Cowley urging Pompey’s board to retain a player who has blossomed into a huge asset.

Saturday was the 22-year-old’s tour de force at Fratton Park, his finest display yet on Blues home soil.

There have been eye-catching moments during the journey, primarily at Forest Green Rovers on his Football League full debut, but MK Dons signalled the enchantment of a wider Fratton faithful audience.

For the opening 45 minutes, in particular, the player once on Charlton’s books, was magnificent in the FA Cup clash, an irresistible driving force who assisted Pompey’s opening two goals.

Thriving with greater attacking responsibilities in Cowley’s formation switch, his first-time pass from just past the centre circle released Reeco Hackett for a 22nd-minute leveller.

Then, 13 minutes later, Mingi’s surge into the box saw Josh McEachran clumsily bring him down for a cast-iron penalty, subsequently dispatched by Bishop.

Not long after, McEachran was booked for another poorly-timed challenge as the youngster again breezed by and, unsurprisingly, didn’t reappear after the break.

Pompey’s infuriating injury issues, almost exclusively affecting the central-midfield area, plus Joe Morrell’s World Cup absence, have contrived to prise open the first-team door for Mingi to barge through.

And hasn’t he seized such unexpected opportunity magnificently.

Along with Zak Swanson, this term’s selection has been out of necessity rather than natural progression, yet both have adapted superbly and continue to thrive in such surroundings.

A intriguing midfield battle looms on the horizon once Louis Thompson, Tom Lowery and Morrell are able to join Pack and Mingi in the scrap for first-team spots.

Still, in the meantime, a player who attracted a transfer bid from Wrexham in January, has now completed his seventh start in Pompey’s last nine matches – and Saturday was his finest showing yet.

Admittedly, he faded significantly in the second half as the Blues’ grip on the game loosened to produce a needlessly nervy finish in a 3-2 triumph which booked a third round presence.

Similarly at Forest Green when he departed the pitch with cramp, Mingi was unable to complete the full 90 minutes, replaced by Tunnicliffe with nine minutes remaining.

Not that it mattered, the ovation from the bulk of those 8,056 in attendance reflected rich appreciation for outstanding efforts.

For MK Dons, Cowley made four changes to the side which faced Derby in League One action nine days earlier, with Mingi among those to keep their place.

Starting with a back three for the first time this season, Michael Morrison was recalled to feature alongside Sean Raggett and Clark Robertson.

Denver Hume, a natural left wing-back, came in, while there were also starts for Ronan Curtis and Hackett in the absence of Dane Scarlett and Owen Dale, who didn’t receive permission by their parent clubs.

In the 3-5-2 system, Curtis was pushed into attack alongside Bishop, with Hackett just behind them as the most advanced central midfielder.

There had been a glimpse of the system in the final 22 minutes of the midweek 2-0 victory at Portman Road in the Papa John’s Trophy, while Cowley rolled it out regularly – and with a good deal of success – last season.

For the likes of summer arrivals Josh Griffiths, Morrison, Bishop, Hume, Mingi and Swanson, however, this was a new Pompey formation to get to grips with, albeit with early results encouraging.

With Cowley’s conventional 4-4-2 producing four successive League One draws and a lack of creativity strangling their explosive start to the campaign, it was clear that fabled Plan B was required.

It appears the Blues now may have that – and certainly there were reassuring signs upon this season’s roll out against MK Dons in FA Cup competition.

Granted, the hosts seemed to run out of steam not long after Bishop grabbed his second, also from the penalty spot, in the 48th minute to earn themselves a 3-1 lead.

When former target Mo Eisa pulled one back on the hour mark, Cowley’s men failed to rally and their performance petered out amid the threat that the Dons could cap their comeback.

Not that Josh Griffiths was particularly tested other than a fine save from Nathan Holland shortly before half-time following another counter from the visitors.

Pompey were comfortable without the fans being entirely comfortable, a reflection of losing that first-half drive and control rather than unfounded paranoia.

The Blues, of course, learnt that for themselves when Manning’s men took the lead against the run of play in the 20th minute with their first decent attack.

Bishop’s lay-off deep in opposition territory couldn’t be collected by Mingi, with Dawson Devoy intercepting and holding off Curtis to thread through a wonderful pass into the path of the breaking Darragh Burns to make it 1-0.

At that point Curtis (twice) and Swanson had excellent opportunities to net, but, within two minutes, Bishop knocked the ball back to Mingi and his first-time pass down the middle was finished brilliantly from outside the box by the left boot of Hackett.

Then McEachran’s challenge on Mingi presented Bishop with the opportunity to send the keeper the wrong way from the penalty spot and the Blues had a 2-1 half-time lead.

That was further extended three minutes into the second half when Bradley Johnson’s loose pass gave the ball away to Hackett and, when he slipped it inside to Bishop, Johnson nudged him to the floor for a soft penalty, duly dispatched.

However, when Holland squared a pass from the left, the unmarked Eisa had time to take a touch before finishing right-footed to make it 3-2.

Still, Pompey safely saw out of the final 30 minutes to reach the next round, while ensuring Mingi’s finest moment to date was not cruelly overshadowed.