Town’s FA Cup run ended at the third round stage for the sixth successive year as the 10-man Blues were beaten 2-1 by League Two Portsmouth at Fratton Park. Former Blue Gary Roberts netted a penalty in the 32nd minute, then Marc McNulty added a second five minutes later to give Pompey a comfortable 2-0 half-time lead, then after the break Ainsley Maitland-Niles pulled one back before Piotr Malarczyk was sent off for two bookable offences.

Boss Mick McCarthy named the anticipated entirely changed XI from the side which drew 1-1 with Preston on Saturday.

Bartosz Bialkowski returned in goal with Josh Emmanuel at right-back, Myles Kenlock left-back and Malarczyk and Paul Digby the centre-halves, as they were in the first game between the sides at Portman Road 10 days ago, which ended 2-2.

In midfield, Luke Hyam skippered and was joined in the centre by Jay Tabb with Maitland-Niles on the right and Tommy Oar on the left. Up front, former Pompey striker Luke Varney was partnered by Brett Pitman.

The bench featured Joe Robinson, Kyle Hammond and Shane McLoughlin, all yet to make a first-team appearance, and Adam McDonnell, whose only previous senior game for the Blues came in the Capital One Cup at Doncaster.

Portsmouth named both their ex-Town players, keeper Brian Murphy and winger Roberts, in a team featuring three changes from their team at Portman Road with skipper Michael Doyle, Gareth Evans and Christian Burgess replacing Danny Hollands, Ben Close and Adam McGurk.

The home side created the game’s first opening in the third minute when Kyle Bennett was sent in on the left of the area but hit his shot across the advancing Bialkowski and wide.

Town, wearing their orange and black third kit, threatened for the first time a minute later when Pitman reacted quickly to reach an under-powered Doyle header back towards keeper Murphy, but looped the ball on to the roof of the net.

But as in the first game the League Two side were seeing most of the ball and on nine Roberts shot straight at Bialkowski.

Malarczyk was handed the game’s first yellow card for blocking Marc McNulty in the 14th minute. Roberts slammed the freekick against the wall.

The Blues started to come more into it after the quarter-hour, Pitman’s header from Maitland-Niles’s cross from the right was diverted away, then the former Bournemouth man tried to slip Varney in on goal, but the ball caught the one-time Pompey striker’s heels.

But the home side were still having more of the ball and on 19 Bennett cut in from the left and scraped a shot wide.

Emmanuel did well to get in front of Evans on 21 as he looked to head home Ben Davies’s dangerous cross from the right.

Neither side was able to create another opportunity until the 31st minute when Barton played in McNulty but Bialkowski quickly came off his line to block.

However, the home side kept hold of the ball and got it back in the box where Roberts was scruffily felled by Malarczyk. Referee Andy Woolmer considered his decision before pointing to the spot, leading to Blues’ protests, although the Polish defender kept out of it having already been booked.

The ex-Town winger took the kick himself and Bialkowski was unfortunate not to save it, diving to his left and clawing it into the opposite corner of the net with his right hand.

Bennett hit a weak effort through to Bialkowski, before the home side increased their lead in the 37th minute. Evans drifted a cross over from the right and McNulty placed a header past the Blues keeper from six yards.

Having gained their two-goal lead Portsmouth had their tails very much up and were continuing to take the game to the lacklustre Blues. Just before half-time, McNulty was threaded in on goal but Bialkowski came off his line quickly to claim.

The home side were good for their two-goal lead at the break having created the game’s best opportunities - Pitman’s early moment of opportunism the nearest the Blues came to a goal - and as at Portman Road having played the better football.

Aside from a spell in the middle of the half prior to the goals when they had been unable to create a chance, much-changed Town had been on the back foot throughout.

Five minutes after the restart, the home side almost added to their lead. Evans played in McNulty on the right of the area, beating the offside trap, according to the linesman, but saw his shot blocked by Bialkowski as he rushed off his line. The on-loan Sheffield United man looped the rebound well over.

A minute later Pompey went close again. A well-worked freekick routine on the left was played inside to skipper Doyle, whose strike flew not far wide of Bialkowski’s right post.

The home side continued to present the greater threat, Evans breaking away on 56 but shooting well over.

The Blues had made little impression on the second half when Maitland-Niles pulled a goal back out of nothing. The on-loan Arsenal man curled a superb strike into the top corner of Murphy’s net from 25 yards to claim his second senior goal.

Pompey weren’t far from restoring their two-goal advantage four minutes later when McNulty was fed in on the left of the area and cut the ball across the six-yard box, but no one was on hand to apply the final touch.

Pitman looped an ambitious effort into Murphy’s arms from well out on the right on 66 but Blues chances remained rare. On 71 Tabb was replaced in central midfield by Giles Coke.

A minute later, Varney and Pitman conjured an opportunity after an error from Burgess, the former Pompey man laying the ball back to his strike partner, who screwed his shot well over.

Larsen Touré, back after his groin problem, replaced Varney as the game moved into its final quarter hour.

A minute later, the Blues were reduced to 10 men. Roberts got away from Malarczyk midway inside the Town half and the already-booked defender caught his legs, probably inadvertently.

Referee Woolmer showed the Pole, making only his third Town start, his second yellow card of the evening and then the Blues’ first red of the season. Sub Coke moved into the back four.

In the final minute of scheduled time U21s skipper Joe Robinson was handed his senior debut in place of Maitland-Niles, taking up his usual role at the centre of the defence with Coke moving back into midfield.

Town pressed for an equaliser in injury time but Portsmouth keeper Murphy was never seriously tested and referee Woolmer’s whistle confirmed Pompey’s first victory over the Blues at Fratton Park since October 1966.

The home side thoroughly deserved the victory on the balance of both games with the Blues never really looking like getting anything out of the replay, despite Maitland-Niles’s excellent second-half goal.

A stronger Town side would almost certainly have given Pompey - who face Premier League AFC Bournemouth at home in round four - a more significant test in both games, but as manager McCarthy made clear with his line-ups, the Championship is very much his priority.

Reading’s 5-2 victory at home to Huddersfield means Town’s Championship game against the Royals set for a week on Saturday will be postponed and will be played on Tuesday 2nd February.

Portsmouth: Murphy, Davies, Webster, Burgess (Close 85), Stevens, Barton, Doyle (c), Evans, Roberts (Chaplin 82), Bennett, McNulty. Unused: Bass, May, Tollitt, Naismith, McGurk.

Town: Bialkowski, Emmanuel, Digby, Malarczyk, Kenlock, Hyam (c), Tabb (Coke 71), Maitland-Niles (Robinson 89), Oar, Varney (Touré 76), Pitman. Unused: Gerken, Hammond, McDonnell, Touré, McLoughlin. Referee: Andy Woolmer (Northamptonshire). Att: 15,179 (Town: 796).

Photo: Action Images

Umros added 07:10 - Jan 20 I am surprised mm hasn't come out with the pointless comment 'it was good the lads got game time' usual rubbish.......won't be any game time next Saturday week though now will there, or important funds for the club...........disgraceful attitude.
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essex57 added 07:22 - Jan 20 There are some strange posters On here whilst We Are constantly reminded every one is entitled to their opinion one poster marked me down for wishing the team luck I conclude they must want the team to lose by the way the poster was oldgold
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dirtydingusmagee added 07:56 - Jan 20 been a Town supporter 50 years, i am very disappointed ,not just with the result, but with the attitude to cup competitions in general.Like many i used to look forward to the cup draws,waiting ,to find out who we would be playing,Looking forward to poss day at Wembley. Now it seems to be a complete farce,We field a reserve team,play without any desire,and get knocked out early every year .The ''old chestnut'', we are concentrating on the league dosnt wash,we should be competing, trying to win all games,instilling a winning mentality,At the end of the season we dont get promoted and have nothing to look back on to say we did well.Mick says Pompey deserved to win, yes they did ,because Town wetre not interested,and that STINKS. Ididnt go to the game, anticipating the team selection and probable outcome ,and im sure other supporters also chose not to go for same reason,its expensive these days,whats the point blowing good money to follow a team that dosnt give a s##t.RESPECT to those fans that did go, they can hold their heads up, the same cant be said for the club ,the blatant apathy is a disgrace .

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Keaneish added 07:59 - Jan 20 Your assessment is wildly different to Brenners and Nicky Forster's Bressinghamblue but then again football is a game of opinions I guess.
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bluey123 added 08:19 - Jan 20 Utter disgrace McCarthy and Evans dragging this club to new lows McCarthy OUT
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bluey123 added 08:23 - Jan 20 There are people on here you know nothing about football what we see week in week out is good the club has no regards for supporters who give up there time and travel all over this country weekly
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Surco72 added 09:00 - Jan 20 I went to game as only an hour or so away . I knew MM was going to field a weaker team that is his choice .What I do not agree with is his pig headed attitude that he thinks fielding 11 players without match fitness or playing as a team get beat by lower league opposition proves he is constantly right about his team selection for league games . You cannot judge any of the players last night as they should have been intergrated alongside the first eleven players to see how they would play if we had injuries and needed cover in positions ,last night taught us nothing as we were on the back foot from the start and totally outplayed throughout .For example if Skuse had played instead of Hyam it would have been exactly the same so how can MM come out and say it shows me who my first team are and my selection is right ? What I got from the game is that with Parr gone if we have any injury to the back four we are really struggling and that Digby and Pior are nowhere near championship standard and would struggle in League 2 .Roberts made them look silly and he was not good enough for Town 10 years ago !! However people want to dress up the lack of spending the fact is MM has offered wages and contracts to players this season who are not good enough Tabb, Coke , Varney, Henshall, Stewart , Digby , Pior . As I said this time last year without investment we will not challenge for promotion as one injury to either Fraser or Berra especially Fraser and we are a decidedly average side who cannot pass the ball which is again nothing to do with money as Pompey certainly have not spent had players missing and passed off of the park and were the better side in both games .

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greenkingtone added 09:11 - Jan 20 Perhaps MM is sending us a message which says now you all know why I don't make team changes and bring other players into the first team. I doubt ITFC will ever be promoted under this owner who is not rich enough.
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blackcat added 09:29 - Jan 20 Malarzyk cost us the first game and now this one !! He is not fit to play ,full stop
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Bergholtblue added 09:48 - Jan 20 I listened to Mick's comments in his radio interview last night and to me that was the most disturbing thing about this result. As he pointed out, we are all now absolutely clear who he best team is. No-one out there last night made any sort of claim for a first team place. Nicky Forster mentioned our small squad, but we haven't! The list of names on last Saturday's programme was twice as long as Preston's. All these players are getting a wage all of which is limiting our resources for attracting new players. So it time we said goodbye to Tabb, Coke, Toure, Malarczyk, Digby and possibly Hyam and Varney although they are coming back from long term injuries.. Probably won't see them go this window but there must be a big clear out in the summer.

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Steve70 added 10:01 - Jan 20 Malarczyk never did him self any favors , Hopefully the last time we see Tabb in the starting line up ?
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Paddy39 added 10:21 - Jan 20 I can't see a problem. I was going to go to Portsmouth but decided not to waste my money because I knew we would play a weakened squad and had little or no chance of getting a result. You would not have known it was Town playing with the names I heard on the radio commentary. Don't knock Mick and T.C. they are the best management team this club has had in years. I will agree with some previous comments though we do need to clear out some of the deadwood this Summer. Mick and TC I'm behind you 100%, COYB's.

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Kesgraveblue57 added 10:51 - Jan 20 Paddy McCarthy saved us from relegation since then he's done nothing the type of football we play is a disgrace when I go down to Portman Rd I want to be entertained first and foremost McCarthy is an old man trying to do a young man's job
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Westy added 11:00 - Jan 20 The contempt the Club have for the F A Cup is embarrassing - a competition that gave us one of our greatest days and spurned a new generation of supporters.
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Razor added 11:26 - Jan 20 OK Mick you got what you wanted and I hope you and the club are happy. You have a free day on Jan 30 now (as Reading actually wanted to stay in the competition) so why not take the lads for a little trip to the seaside, perhaps even a paddle and ice-cream? One of the greatest days in my life was at Wembley in 1978---it really hurts me that no chance of that ever happenning again with this manager.

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TractorJed added 12:01 - Jan 20 No point moaning here expecting anything to change. Vote with your wallets, don't go to cup games. I won't be attending anymore until it is treated as a serious game of football. No crowd would soon have an effect of the money men at the club. Looking forward to going to Birmingham on Saturday though.
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NSL added 12:17 - Jan 20 I would love for town fans to boycott the next away game and simply erect a banner in the seats saying 'we don't give a flying one'
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NeverGoingUp added 12:44 - Jan 20 If that was the future of the Town squad, god help us. Mick Out now!!!!!
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boncho added 12:48 - Jan 20 @NSL . what are you on about. you really want protests at town matches. i could understand if we were in relegation places but come on mate, we lost a cup game, do you really care, as to the money people said we will get from a cup run, well we sold mings for 8 million and havent see any of that so i very much doubt one more game would really make a diference would it. anyway to all of those SUPPORTERS who get behind the team, keep it up please, dont let these moaners get the better of us. COYB!!!!

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Ipswichbusiness added 13:41 - Jan 20 I have great respect for MM, but I think he's wrong on this one. A Cup run would have been fun and given the whole club a lift.
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runningout added 13:45 - Jan 20 only need to take a Butchers at our dodgy U21's.. They are not Brazil :-/
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81andallthat added 13:49 - Jan 20 The only brightside was around 3/1at the bookies on both teams score Pompey win..cashed in.
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Lightningboy added 14:44 - Jan 20 Portsmouth are challenging for promotion too,right? Did they stick their second string out last night?
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sidtheswan added 14:46 - Jan 20 Have we now worn our unofficial orange kit more than our official away kit ?
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Tufty added 15:43 - Jan 20 So reading on a Tuesday night can't go because live too far away Next home game v Blackburn if they win at Oxford in the cup that's another game moved from Saturday to Tuesday Season tickets soon won't be worth having if not already
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