Robins Reserves Miss Out
In the first of the group qualifying matches the young Robins team put up a great fight and with three more games to come still have a chance of reaching the knockout stages.
A neatly taken header by Pompey striker Ryan Taylor in the opening minutes got them going and they threatened to run away with it as keeper Matt Gould came to the rescue by saving another header and then going full stretch to keep out a shot from Close.
In the 15th minute Robins were level thanks to a well taken goal by Zack Kotwica who squeezed a shot past Poke in goal after a neat set up by Adam Powell.
A beauty of a header from Taylor into the top corner just 3 minutes later burst the balloon and put Pompey back in front but Kotwica , looking as sharp as ever, twice went close to equalising.
First he seized on a a defensive blunder only for keeper Poke to save his shot and then right on half-time had a header cleared off the line.
The Robins came close again in the second half when Raffa De Vita had a shot blocked but Pompey killed the contest with a third from Conor Chaplin.
New keeper Matt Gould pulled off two fine saves and the young Robins kept Pompey working and chasing until the very end.
To come in the qualifying round is a home tie with Plymouth followed by matches at Bristol City and Newport County with the top two teams going through to the knock out stage.
Robins Team : Gould,Deaman (sub Craddock 61)Reynolds,Bowen,Kotwica,Powell (sub Daly 81) Dale, De Vita (sub Lawrence 61) Haworth,Black,Williams
Subs Not Used: Reynolds