The 2019 EFL Trophy Final was a football match played at Wembley Stadium on 31 March 2019. It decided the winners of the 2018–19 EFL Trophy, the 35th edition of the competition, a knock-out tournament for the 48 teams in League One and League Two and 16 category one academy sides.

2019 EFL Trophy Final
Match programme cover
Event2018–19 EFL Trophy
After extra time
Portsmouth won 5–4 on penalties
Date31 March 2019 (2019-03-31)
VenueWembley Stadium, London
Man of the MatchMatthew Clarke
RefereeDean Whitestone
Attendance85,621
2018
2020

The Final was contested by League One sides Portsmouth and Sunderland, of which the winner received £100,000 and the Runners-Up received £50,000.[1] This was the first Trophy final pitting two English football champions against each other in 31 years. It was also the first EFL Trophy Final to be contested by two former Premier League clubs.[2]

The Portsmouth team used Wembley's West changing room, while Sunderland used the East. A coin toss decided that Sunderland had first choice on kit selection. This meant Portsmouth played in blue away socks to avoid clashing with Sunderland's first choice red socks.

Portsmouth won the final after coming from one goal behind with English forward Oliver Hawkins scoring the winning penalty kick in the shootout to hand Portsmouth their first cup trophy since the 2008 FA Cup.[3] Portsmouth centre back, Matthew Clarke, was named man of the match.[4] The game was attended by 85,021 people, making it the highest attended match in the UK and the second highest in Europe that weekend. It set a new attendance record for the Football League Trophy, surpassing the 1988 final.[5]

Route to the final

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Portsmouth

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Pos Lge Team Pld W PW PL L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1 L1 Portsmouth 3 3 0 0 0 8 2 +6 9 Round 2
2 ACA Tottenham Hotspur U21 3 1 0 1 1 7 4 +3 4
3 L1 Gillingham 3 1 0 0 2 2 9 −7 3
4 L2 Crawley Town 3 0 1 0 2 2 4 −2 2
Source: EFL.com
4 September 2018 (2018-09-04) Group stages Portsmouth 4–0 Gillingham Portsmouth
19:45 BST Clarke   41'
Close   43'
Pitman   55' (pen.)
Wheeler   90+1'
Report Stadium: Fratton Park
Attendance: 2,011
Referee: Alan Young
9 October 2018 (2018-10-09) Group stages Crawley Town 0–1 Portsmouth Crawley
19:45 BST Report Donohue   37' Stadium: Broadfield Stadium
Attendance: 1,268
13 November 2018 (2018-11-13) Group stages Portsmouth 3–2 Tottenham Hotspur U21 Portsmouth
19:45 GMT Green   50'
Evans   69'
Report Patterson   20'
White   90'
Stadium: Fratton Park
Attendance: 3,138
4 December 2018 (2018-12-04) Second round Portsmouth 2–1 Arsenal U21 Portsmouth
19:45 GMT Pitman   10'
Green   83'
Report Saka   66' Stadium: Fratton Park
Attendance: 3,109
8 January 2019 (2019-01-08) Third round Southend United 0–2 Portsmouth Southend-on-Sea
19:45 GMT Report Dennis   6'
Evans   45+2'
Stadium: Roots Hall
Attendance: 1,649
Referee: Craig Hicks
22 January 2019 (2019-01-22) Quarter-final Portsmouth 1–0 Peterborough United Portsmouth
19:00 GMT Close   74'
Wheeler   85'
Report Stadium: Fratton Park
Attendance: 3,313
26 February 2019 (2019-02-26) Semi-final Bury 0–3 Portsmouth Bury
19:45 GMT Report Evans   61'   62'
Hawkins   64'
Curtis   77'
Stadium: Gigg Lane
Attendance: 3,900
Referee: Ross Joyce

Sunderland

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Pos Lge Team Pld W PW PL L GF GA GD Pts Qualification
1 L1 Sunderland 3 2 1 0 0 4 1 +3 8 Round 2
2 ACA Stoke City U21 3 1 1 1 0 3 2 +1 6
3 L2 Carlisle United 3 1 0 1 1 5 6 −1 4
4 L2 Morecambe 3 0 0 0 3 3 6 −3 0
Source: EFL.com
4 September 2018 (2018-09-04) Group Game 1 Sunderland 0–0
(4–2 p)
Stoke City U21s Sunderland
19:45 BST Report Stadium: Stadium of Light
Attendance: 7,644
Referee: Martin Coy
Penalties
9 October 2018 (2018-10-09) Group Game 2 Sunderland 3–1 Carlisle United Sunderland
19:45 BST Kimpioka   3'
Robson   34'
Honeyman   63'
O'Nien   72'
Report Nadesan   22' Stadium: Stadium of Light
Attendance: 8,112
Referee: Ben Toner
13 November 2018 (2018-11-13) Group Game 3 Morecambe 0–1 Sunderland Morecambe
19:45 GMT Kenyon   35'
Cuvelier   45+2'
Thompson   54'
Report Maja   90+1' Stadium: Globe Arena
Attendance: 2,377
Referee: Paul Marsden
4 December 2018 (2018-12-04) Round 2 Sunderland 2–0 Notts County Sunderland
19:45 GMT Mumba   28'
Jones   22' (o.g.)
Sinclair   73' (pen.)
Report Hewitt   29'
Duffy   76'
Vaughan   86'
Stadium: Stadium of Light
Attendance: 8,580
Referee: Graham Salisbury
8 January 2019 (2019-01-08) Round 3 Sunderland 4–0 Newcastle United U21s Sunderland
19:45 GMT Mumba   42'
Watts   49' (o.g.)
Wyke   52'
Maguire   78'
Kimpioka   86'
Report Sangare   53' Stadium: Stadium of Light
Attendance: 16,654
Referee: Tony Harrington
22 January 2019 (2019-01-22) Quarter-finals Sunderland 2–0 Manchester City U21s Sunderland
19:45 GMT Cattermole   17'
Watmore   22'
Gooch   65'
Report Ogbeta   31'
Pozo   90'
Braaf   90+2'
Stadium: Stadium of Light
Attendance: 14,679
Referee: Michael Salisbury
5 March 2019 (2019-03-05) Semi-finals Bristol Rovers 0–2 Sunderland Bristol
19:45 GMT Nichols   38'
Craig   86'
Report Grigg   44'
Morgan   47'
Stadium: Memorial Stadium
Attendance: 6,699
Referee: Michael Salisbury

Match

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Portsmouth2–2 (a.e.t.)Sunderland
Thompson   82'
Lowe   114'
Report McGeady   38', 119'
Penalties
Evans  
Pitman  
Brown  
Lowe  
Hawkins  
5–4   McGeady
  Cattermole
  Gooch
  Power
  O'Nien
Attendance: 85,021
Referee: Dean Whitestone
 
 
 
 
 
Portsmouth
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Sunderland
GK 15   Craig MacGillivray
RB 20   Nathan Thompson
CB 6   Christian Burgess
CB 5   Matthew Clarke
LB 3   Lee Brown
DM 7   Tom Naylor
DM 33   Ben Close   113'
RM 10   Jamal Lowe   116'
CM 8   Brett Pitman
LM 11   Ronan Curtis   32'   56'
CF 22   Omar Bogle   69'
Substitutes:
GK 35   Alex Bass
DF 38   Brandon Haunstrup
DF 2   Anton Walkes   113'
MF 26   Gareth Evans   102'   56'
MF 30   Adam May
FW 32   James Vaughan
FW 9   Oliver Hawkins   69'
Manager:
  Kenny Jackett
GK 1   Jon McLaughlin
RB 13   Luke O'Nien
CB 12   Tom Flanagan
CB 15   Jack Baldwin   80'
LB 16   Reece James   88'
DM 6   Lee Cattermole
RM 23   Grant Leadbitter   95'
CM 17   Lewis Morgan   73'
CM 10   George Honeyman
LM 19   Aiden McGeady   90'
CF 22   Will Grigg   77'
Substitutes:
GK 25   Robbin Ruiter
DF 30   Jimmy Dunne
DF 33   Denver Hume   88'
MF 8   Dylan McGeouch
MF 11   Lynden Gooch   73'
MF 27   Max Power   77'
FW 9   Charlie Wyke   95'
Manager:
  Jack Ross

References

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  1. ^ "Checkatrade Trophy knockout rules explained - prize money, key dates and who can play". Bristol Post. 4 December 2018.
  2. ^ "Checkatrade Trophy Final: Facts & Figures". Portsmouth F.C. 28 March 2019. Retrieved 1 April 2019.
  3. ^ Fisher, Ben (1 April 2019). "Portsmouth's Oliver Hawkins sinks Sunderland to seal Checkatrade Trophy". The Guardian. Retrieved 1 April 2019.
  4. ^ "Match report: Checkatrade Trophy Final". English Football League. 1 April 2019. Retrieved 1 April 2019.
  5. ^ Williams, Adam (31 March 2019). "Checkatrade Trophy final: Portsmouth 2-2 Sunderland (aet, 5-4 on pens)". BBC Sport. Retrieved 31 March 2019.