Delight and despair on dramatic final day for Portsmouth Wembley hero as ex-Fratton team-mate ruins the party
The Scot is toasting success again after writing his name in Fratton folklore with the 2019 Checkatrade Trophy triumph
There was delight and despair for one Pompey Wembley hero during a dramatic finale to the Football League season.
And it was a former Fratton Park team-mate who helped inflict last-day heartbreak on Craig MacGillivray.
The goalkeeper has played a pivotal role in a successful campaign for MK Dons, re-establishing himself back in the side to be one of their star performers, missing just one game in the process.
Having already won promotion the previous weekend, Paul Warne’s side entered Saturday’s last round of matches in pole position for the League Two title.
Topping the table by one point and armed with a far superior goal difference, the Dons headed to Fleetwood as favourites to cap their season by being crowned champions.
Dramatic day in League Two
However, it would be Bromley who instead claimed League Two on a dramatic day, with MacGillivray and his team-mates agonisingly being pipped at the post to finish in second place.
And who should be among the Bromley goalscorers in their decisive 3-1 success at Walsall but Ben Thompson, a former Pompey playing colleague of the goalkeeper.
Despite falling behind at Fleetwood courtesy of Ronan Coughlan’s opener, assisted by James Bolton, MK Dons found a first-half leveller through Callum Paterson.
That left them 53 minutes to muster up a winner and clinch the League Two title, irrespective of how Bromley were faring against the Saddlers.
However, that second goal frustratingly eluded Warne’s side as they were held to a 1-1 draw at the Highbury Stadium, ending a run of three successive victories.
Pipped at the post by Bromley
Meanwhile, a Bromley side which occupied second place going into Saturday, grabbed the triumph they required to finish one point ahead of the Dons and claim the title for themselves.
Thompson opened the scoring on 37 minutes with his eighth goal of a season which saw him primarily utilised off the bench, with just 12 league starts.
Mitch Pinnock doubled their lead on the hour mark, only for Walsall’s Jid Okeke to pull one back minutes later.
However, Omar Sowunmi restored Bromley’s two-goal advantage in the 67th minute with a header from a corner - and they saw out the game to claim a 3-1 success to become League Two champions.
Delight also for Nicke Kabamba, another former Pompey man, who scored 13 goals in 51 appearances for the Ravens. Only Michael Cheek netted more than the 33-year-old striker.
Despite MacGillivray’s heartbreak, it has still been an excellent season for MK Dons, who last year finished 19th in League Two having surprisingly failed to mount a promotion challenge.
Surprisingly released by Pompey
After joining them on a free from Burton in June 2023, the goalkeeper featured just eight times in the league and spent the second half of the campaign on loan at Stevenage.
However, the arrival of Warne as head coach in April 2024 opened the door for MacGillivray’s first-team return and the former The News/Sports Mail Pompey Player of the Season has subsequently been a mainstay of the side.
The Scot arrived at Fratton Park from Shrewsbury in June 2018 under Kenny Jackett and went on to make 135 appearances.
He has also entered Blues folklore after saving Lee Catermole’s spot-kick in the penalty shoot-out triumph over Sunderland in the Checkatrade Trophy final at Wembley in March 2019.
During his time on the south coast, MacGillivray was also called up into Scotland’s squad on several occasions, without making an appearance. However, at the end of the 2020-21 campaign, Danny Cowley surprisingly released the keeper.
Despite having a club option, the Blues elected to let him leave, and he has subsequently featured for Charlton, Burton, Stevenage and, of course, MK Dons.
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