Exeter City moved back to the top of their Premier League Cup group stage as goals from Jordan Dyer and Ben Seymour gave them a 2-1 win over Portsmouth.
It means, with a game left, City know a point away at second in the table Doncaster will be enough to see them top the group and get a home tie in the knockout stages of the competition.
City named a team with plenty of experience with Lee Holmes, Alex Fisher and Brennan Dickenson in the starting XI as the three over 23 players and Joel Randall, Alex Hartridge, Ben Seymour and Jordan Dyer also playing, despite having represented the club in first-team games this season.
Portsmouth, who had already been eliminated from the competition, started the game well with Oliver Hawkins looking dangerous early on.
However, it was the Grecians who took the lead with the first chance of note after 15 minutes when Holmes worked the ball out well to Randall who delivered a low first-time cross for Ben Seymour to lift a shot beyond Taylor Seymour and into the back of the net.
The visitors continued to look dangerous though and had the better of the chances during the remainder of the second half as Hawkins stung the gloves of Jack Arthur with a half volley before having a penalty appeal turned down when he collided with the City keeper in the area.
Arthur then made a good save to tip a Gerrard Storey shot over the crossbar before Hawkins was forced off before half-time through concussion.
City had the first chance of the second half as Dickenson got brought down on the edge of the box by Lee Brown, but he could only curl the free-kick over the bar.
Then on 53 minutes, Ross McCrorie got into a good crossing position on the left but his ball in was headed over the bar by Alfie Stanley. Chances were few and far between in the second half though with Reeco Hackett-Fairchild growing frustration highlighted when he lined up a shot from distance and blasted it well over the crossbar.
Then with 20 minutes left Harry Kite burst through into the box and hit a right-foot shot that Taylor Seymour had to turn around his post.
The game was then well and truly in City control on 72 minutes as a corner was swung into the edge of the six-yard box where Jordan Dyer sent a first-time volley into the bottom corner.
However, seven minutes later City conceded from a corner themselves, with Jack Whatmough heading home at the far post, to put the game back in the balance.
City had a great chance to restore their two-goal lead when substitute Ben Chrisene worked the ball well out to Randall whose first time cross was almost turned home by Ben Seymour at the back post. However, that missed chance didn’t matter as the Grecians saw out the remaining minutes to pick up the three points.
Exeter City: Arthur, Holmes (Chrisene, 70), Fisher (Wilson, 73), Dickenson (Key, 57), Randall, Kite, Hartridge, B Seymour, Dyer, Diabate, Dean. Subs: Iseguan, Stafford.
Booked: Dyer
Portsmouth: T Seymour, McCrorie, Downing, Whatmough, Brown, May, Storey, Haunstrup, Hawkins (Stanley, 34), Hackett-Fairchild, Brook (Bridgman, 61). Subs: Robb, Bell, Rew.
Booked: McCrorie, Brown
Attendance: 297