Sheffield United will be in the League One play-offs after seeing any chance of automatic promotion blown away in the first 32 minutes at Portsmouth.
With other results going their way, a United win would have had seen their destiny back in their own hands but on a day when Portsmouth were in a celebratory mood, they never looked like winning.
Despite their relegation being confirmed earlier in the week, Portsmouth were celebrating after the successful completion of the takeover of the club by their supporters trust.
The United defence were in a giving mood and they were all at sea on the south coast as Portsmouth romped into a three-goal lead.
Shaun Cooper, David Connolly and Jed Wallace all scoring for Portsmouth with the United defence guilty of ball watching.
The blades must now dust themselves down and start preparing for the play-offs. They still have two games remaining this week against Crewe and Preston and after a hectic last month, caretaker manager Chris Morgan must look at resting players ahead of the play-offs starting.
Teams
Portsmouth
Eastwood, Cooper, Sodje, Moutaouakil, Gyepes, Ertl (Awford 90), Butler, Racon, Agyemang (Harris 86), Connolly, Wallace (Maloney 89)
Subs Unused
Smith, Akinde, Walker, Webster.
Sheffield United
Long, Higginbotham, Hill, Collins, McMahon (Westlake 59), Flynn (Forte 45), Doyle, McDonald, Kitson (Robson 45), Murphy
Subs Unused
Coyne, Ironside, McFadzean, Whitehouse
Join Vital Sheffield United
Vital Sheffield United is now available on both facebook and twitter, so if you are that way inclined and more importantly understand all this new fangled dangled stuff, feel free to watch us, poke us or whatever else you are meant to do there!
Vital Sheffield United on:
Vital Sheffield United on:
Join Vital Sheffield United
It’s easy to REGISTER HERE, simply click the link and enjoy getting involved!