GROUP STAGES OFF TO A FLYER

Goal bonanza as our sides face U21s

- John Lyons

THE EFL Trophy roared back into action in midweek with a glut of goals and a hat-trick of penalty shoot-outs.

There were 17 goals across the four opening group stage matches. The highest scoring game was at Fratton Park where Portsmouth played out a 3-3 thriller against Fulham U21s in Southern Group E.

The scene was set as early as the first minute when Chris Donnell gave the visitors the lead

In a see-saw first half, all-change Portsmouth rallied to take the lead with goals from Sean Raggett (17 mins) and Terry Devlin (28), but Fulham replied through Martial Godo six minutes before the break.

The Whites suffered a major blow when Georgios Okkas was sent off in first half injury time for his second bookable offence. It looked as though it would be plain sailing for Pompey when Raggett notched his second on 51 minutes in spectacular fashion with a 30yard rocket into the top corner, but the ten men hit back through Delano McCoy-Splatt with just over a quarter of an hour left.