Sunderland suffered penalty shootout heartbreak at Wembley as Portsmouth won the Checkatrade Trophy.
The Black Cats’ hopes of winning their first piece of silverware since their famous FA Cup triumph in 1973 were dashed after the game ended 1-1 in normal time, 2-2 after extra-time, and then Lee Cattermole missed from the penalty spot in the shootout while Pompey converted all five of their kicks.
Sunderland were by far the better side in the first half with Aiden McGeady’s goal giving them a deserved lead at the break.
But Pompey looked a different side after the interval and hit the woodwork through Brett Pitman before Nathan Thompson levelled in the final 10 minutes to take the game to extra-time.
Jamal Lowe then gave the South Coast side the lead in the second period of extra-time, only for McGeady to score his second goal and send the game to a shootout.
But the 40,000-plus Sunderland fans who made up half the 85,000 attendance – the largest in the history of the competition – saw their team fall at the final hurdle.
Jack Ross made two changes to the side that started the league win over Walsall a fortnight ago.
Skipper George Honeyman is eligible to play in this competition despite being in the midst of a three-match suspension in the league, and he returned to the side in place of Max Power.
And the second change saw Reece James come into the starting XI instead of Adam Matthews, who suffered a hamstring problem against the Saddlers.
Sunderland 2-2 Portsmouth
Portsmouth boss Kenny Jackett made one change to the team that started last weekend’s win at Shrewsbury Town.
Winger Ronan Curtis returned from a finger injury and he came into the side in place of Gareth Evans.
Sunderland went for the jugular from the word go, with the sliding Will Grigg just inches away from connecting with Honeyman’s low cross with less than 30 seconds on the clock.
The Black Cats were dominant throughout the first period, with McGeady and Lewis Morgan causing all kinds of problems for Pompey from the flanks.
On-loan Celtic man Morgan was the main goal threat for much of the first half, sending a couple of early efforts wide of the target, and bringing a couple of saves out of Craig MacGillivray – including one from a 25-yard volley which the keeper did well to beat away.
But the goal came on 38 minutes, when McGeady was brought down by Thompson outside the penalty area 25 yards from goal in a central position.
McGeady stepped up to take the set-piece and it took a deflection off the shoulder of Omar Bogle in the defensive wall, taking it away from MacGillivray and into the top left-hand corner of the net, sparking mass celebrations amongst the 40,000 Sunderland fans at the opposite end of the ground.
Pompey’s only chance in the opening 45 minutes fell to Christian Burgess from a set-piece inside the opening quarter-hour, but the centre-back headed tamely at Jon McLaughlin from a free-kick.
Portsmouth improved after the break and Bogle saw a header from a corner cleared off the line by James, although it would not have counted as the whistle had already gone for a foul against the striker.
On the hour, Pitman hit a shot from just outside the right-hand corner of the box which beat the diving McLaughlin and came back off the base of the left-hand post.
And Pompey continued to threaten an equaliser, with Thompson sending a shot over the bar from a tight angle inside the box, and then Lowe dragged a shot wide of the target with only McLaughlin to beat.
But Pompey were building up a head of steam and they finally made it count on 82 minutes.
Sub Gareth Evans received the ball inside the area on the left and he chipped it to the far post where Thompson got above James to head home, despite Tom Flanagan’s attempts to keep it out on the line.
That was enough to take the game into extra-time and the momentum was well and truly with Pompey.
Lee Brown saw a shot saved by McLaughlin in the first half of extra-time, and then in the second half the Scotland keeper made a brilliant diving save low to his right to deny substitute Anton Walkes.
But Pompey hit the front in the 114th minute when Lowe turned Jack Baldwin inside out in the penalty area, then lobbed his finish over McLaughlin who had come off his line.
Lowe’s goal looked to have settled it, but in the last minute of extra-time sub Charlie Wyke helped the ball into the path of McGeady and he prodded his finish beyond MacGillivray and Matt Clarke could not keep it out on the line.
That set up the penalty shootout, with Cattermole seeing his penalty saved while Pompey scored all five of their spot-kicks, sub Oli Hawkins holding his nerve at the end to earn his side the trophy.
How they lined up
PORTSMOUTH: MacGillivray, Thompson, Burgess, Clarke, Brown, Naylor, Close, Lowe, Pitman, Curtis (Evans 56), Bogle (Hawkins 69). Subs not used: Bass, Walkes, Haunstrup, May, Vaughan
BOOKED: Curtis, Evans, Lowe
SUNDERLAND: McLaughlin, O’Nien, Flanagan, Baldwin, James (Hume 88), Morgan (Gooch 73), Cattermole, Leadbitter (Wyke 95), McGeady, Honeyman, Grigg (Power 77). Subs not used: Ruiter, McGeouch, Dunne
BOOKED: Baldwin, McGeady
REFEREE: Dean Whitestone (Northamptonshire)
ATTENDANCE: 85,021
