Both sides went close to opening the scoring in the first half, with Oliver Khinda very unlucky when he met Daniel Olabiyi’s cross with a crisply struck volley which came back off the foot of the post, and Sutton goalkeeper Enos Duah making a fine save to tip over a goalbound header soon afterwards.

U’s went close again early in the second half when Matthew Nwanekezie just failed to reach a Khinda cross in front of a gaping goal, but it was the visitors who struck first in spectacular fashion as a first time volley from all of 25 yards flew past Duah in to the net. 

Nwanekezie almost equalised when he pounced on a defensive mistake but was foiled by the goalkeeper, but a second Portsmouth goal followed with fifteen minutes left, a corner being scrambled home at the second attempt. Although Jack Taylor and Jake Tones both had shots saved, U’s were unable to reduce the deficit. Gucci Soulya-Osekongo was then shown a red card following a clash after the final whistle.