Plymouth 1-0 Portsmouth: Peter Hartley's late header sends Argyle to Wembley

By Pete Hall

Monday 16 May 2016 07:09, UK

Peter Hartley's last-gasp winner secured Plymouth Argyle a spot in the League Two play-off final after a 1-0 win at Home Park sealed a 3-2 aggregate success over Portsmouth.

Sunday evening's game seemed to be heading for extra time after neither side could find a winner in the Devon sunshine, with Jake Jervis guilty of missing a late, gilt-edged opportunity.

However, moments later, Hartley got up highest to divert the ball home, and send the Green Army into raptures.

The success secured Argyle their second Wembley visit, against either AFC Wimbledon or Accrington, on Monday May 30.

Graham Carey tested Ryan Allsop as early as the second minute from distance as the hosts started brightly, but otherwise first-half openings were few and far between.

Kyle Bennett has the visitors' best effort of the half after 11 minutes, but saw his strike find the side-netting from the edge of the box.

The main talking point of the first half was the challenge on Gareth Evans that ended his match, with Carl McHugh cautioned for his troubles.

Then, Pompey suffered another blow as Danny Hollands had to be withdrawn before the break, but this time no foul play was involved.

After the interval, the game opened up as both sides started to tire. A woeful clearance from Argyle stopper Luke McCormick landed at the feet of Gary Roberts, who had an open goal to aim at, but the distance proved too difficult to circumvent, and Roberts could not find the target.

Just before the hour mark, Jamille Matt had the opportunity of the match, but after evading the challenge of Adam Barton brilliantly, he fired over from the edge of the box.

A superb cross from Carey then picked Matt out in the box, but he headed wide from point-black range. The Pilgrims were pressing.

In a dramatic finale, Jervis saw his header come back off the post when unmarked in the box, before Matt brought the best out of Allsop in the Pompey goal in stoppage time.

But the drama wasn't finished as Hartley got up highest to meet a right-wing corner to bundle the ball home, off a combination of his head and shoulder - cue pandemonium.