Joe Gallen admitted Pompey were not as fluent as they ought to have beaten as they overcame Scunthorpe to reach the semi-finals of the Football League Trophy.

Goals by John Marquis and Cameron McGeehan - the latter enjoying his first Blues strike - put Pompey into the last four after the Iron battled back to make it 1-1 in the second half.

Pompey will find out on Saturday evening who they will face in the last four.

Gallen said: 'Scunthorpe — although they’re mid-table in League Two — have a very experienced side and it was a tough game for us. We made some changes, but still fielded a strong team and are absolutely delighted to get through to the semi-finals.

'It perhaps wasn’t as fluid as it could have been at home, but we did enough to get the win and I thought we deserved it overall. We knew the opposition would come out and have a bit more of a go in the second half and they scored a decent effort that left us a bit disjointed.

'But there was a little bit of a rejig in midfield and suddenly we had a few chances, with Cameron getting his first goal.'

Gallen said he was delighted to see Jack Whatmough make his first team return after injury, but felt Saturday's FA Cup tie against Barnsley might come too soon for him to be considered for another match.

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