Kenny Jackett’s Pompey beat League One rivals Sunderland at Wembley on Sunday after Lee Cattermole missed from the spot.
Portsmouth manager Kenny Jackett was gracious in victory after his Pompey side beat Sunderland in the Checkatrade Trophy final, paying tribute to Jack Ross’s ‘talented’ squad in quotes reported by the Sunderland Echo.
Arguably the biggest clubs in League One went head to head at Wembley on Sunday afternoon, putting their recent troubles aside in a clash that appeared to represent the re-awakening of two fallen giants.
But it was Portsmouth who triumphed at the national stadium, winning on penalties after a thrilling 2-2 draw over 120 minutes.
Lee Cattermole missed from the spot before Oli Hawkins scored the decisive kick to send the Pompey army into raptures.
Manager Jackett was understandably thrilled but was quick to point out that Sunderland deserve plenty of credit too for their role in a fabulous final.
“Sunderland have a very good squad and are very talented, and it’s a one-off game today,” said Jackett, who also won the trophy as manager of Swansea back in 2006.
“I do believe that if there is another game in a couple of months, that would be a different day.”
Sunderland still have a chance to take revenge with promotion to the Championship on the line. Going into the final stretch of a gruelling season, Sunderland are a point behind Portsmouth in the League One table though they have two games in hand.
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