Portsmouth 1-2 Exeter City
LINE-UPS:PORTSMOUTH: McCarey, B. Davies (capt), Stevens, Burgess, Barton, Stockley, Chaplin (Tubbs 55'), Clarke, Bennett, Evans (Roberts 66'), Hollands (Doyle 81').
SUBS: Bass, Webster, Naismith, Atangana.
GOALS: Roberts 90+3'
EXETER CITY: Olejnik, Noble (capt) (Butterfield 46'), Ribeiro, Holmes, Davies, Moore-Taylor, Oyeleke (Hoskins 79'), Wheeler, Tillson, Grant (McCready 72'), Brown.
SUBS: Pym, Morrison, Nicholls, Nichols.
Goals: Wheeler 20', Davies 57'
Referee: Nicholas Kinseley
Report
FOR THE SECOND TIME this season, Exeter City handed the League 2 leaders their first defeat of the season.
Goals from David Wheeler and Arron Davies earned Exeter City a win at Fratton Park, and their second success over Portsmouth in September.
Three changes were made to the starting eleven that were beaten by Wycombe at St James Park at the weekend, with Jordan Tillson and Manny Oyeleke returning to the first eleven and Arron Davies completing his return from an injury lay-off with a place from the off.
The hosts almost had City rocking right from the off, with Bobby Olejnik making two wondersaves from Gareth Evans before a third effort went wide just moments later, three minutes in. That Pompey pressure continued throughout the first twenty minutes, with Troy Brown and Jordan Tillson both having to make key clearances.
But, totally against the run of play, David Wheeler found the space to unleash a low drive past Portsmouth goalkeeper Aaron McCarey for the opener. It was a goal that silenced the initially-raucous home fans, with only the familar tunes of John Portsmouth Football Club Westwood's bells breaking the Fratton Park silence.
City would retain the lead going into the break.
HALF-TIME: PORTSMOUTH 0-1 EXETER CITY
Portsmouth introduced star striker Matt Tubbs ten minutes into the second half, but it would be the Grecians that would get the next goal. On the break, Lee Holmes's cross was parried by goalkeeper Aaron McCarey, only for Arron Davies to head in on the rebound.
Danny Butterfield would hook one off the line shortly after the hour, while Christian Ribeiro had a great chance to make it three when he tried to get the ball out from under his feet inside the Portsmouth box before firing at McCarey.
Enda Stevens had Portsmouth's best effort yet on eighty-four minutes, shooting across the face of goal, before Matt Tubbs headed over the bar. City defended well, and returned to winning ways by completing a second win over Pompey this month.
Gary Roberts would get a deflected consolation at the death, but City held on.
FULL-TIME: PORTSMOUTH 1-2 EXETER CITY
Attendance: 15,822 (313 away)
Man of the Match: David Wheeler