Ipswich Town were knocked out of the Papa John's Trophy on Tuesday evening by League One rivals Portsmouth.
Goals from Dane Scarlett and Zak Swanson were enough to see the Hampshire side through to the last 16 after a 2-0 victory at Portman Road.
That's despite Ipswich having a dominant opening 40 minutes until the deadlock was broken.
But, once the goal came, the hosts lost their attacking impetus and a spirited Pompey performance in the second half saw them over the line.
Here's what we learnt from the game.
Another injury blow
Ipswich have been working with a much tighter squad than they would have liked in recent weeks.
In addition, Gassan Ahadme being cup-tied and Kyle Edwards being suspended limited Town's options further for the game against Portsmouth.
As a result, Kieran McKenna was forced into playing some players he would have liked to have rested. The likes of captain Sam Morsy, Cameron Humphries and Marcus Harness would all fall into that category.
And it was Harness who limped off just 20 minutes in.
McKenna said the early indications were not looking good and said that was the most disappointing aspect of the night, more so than the loss.
He said: "It doesn't look great on first viewing and it will be a scan tomorrow to see the severity of the damage.
"It was a knee, yeah. The disappointment and the worst thing certainly about the night is Marcus and we'll keep our fingers crossed."
Dominic Ball, Lee Evans, Tyreece John-Jules and Sone Aluko are all out, while Greg Leigh, Panutche Camara and Ahadme have only just returned and are likely to be thrown in at the deep end.
Another Papa John's exit
Ipswich fans will not need reminding of the fact that they are only one of six football league sides who are still yet to play at the new Wembley Stadium since its opening in 2007.
Many will have seen the Papa John's Trophy as a fantastic opportunity to get there. After all, Town were the pre-season favourites for the competition.
But since dropping down to the third tier in 2019, the Tractor Boys have failed to get beyond the round of 16 in their four attempts.
They had previously gone out in the group stages once and in knockout fixtures to Exeter City and Arsenal U21.
Tuesday evening was a disappointing way for Town's journey in the competition to end after such a bright start to the group stages.
They will hope they are not playing in it at all in a year's time.
Priorities lie elsewhere
While many would have liked a run in the Papa John's Trophy, the old cliché of 'focus on the league' does sometimes ring some truth.
Make no bones about it, the number one priority for Ipswich this season is to gain promotion to the Championship. They are going the right way about it so far.
This was highlighted by McKenna in relation to the injury problems. Extra games when the squad is this stretched are unlikely to do anyone any good.
McKenna reflected: "To be honest with the situation at the moment, going through would have been a game that we could do without in between the Wycombe and Peterborough games.
"So having that week as a clear week is probably beneficial for us, being completely truthful about it at the moment."
Strength in depth
Tuesday's squad aside, Ipswich have been hugely successful in the number of players they have been able to utilise in the competition this season.
At times during the group stages, the Tractor Boys were able to make a full 11 changes to their lineup.
But, most remarkably, even when they did, the team was still extremely strong and one that would not look out of place starting a league match.
It was also an opportunity, as has been the case for many sides, to sprinkle some of the younger players into the team for some first-team exposure.
The likes of Edwin Agbaje, Tawanda Chirewa, Zanda Siziba, Fraser Alexander, Gerard Buabo and Albie Armin have all been used.
"I enjoyed the group stages, certainly," McKenna said.
"It was really beneficial for the momentum in the group and in the squad. Good performances and the chance to give some of the younger players some minutes, some opportunities.
"Cameron Humphreys, for example, comes into the team in the earlier games and then you see the way you he’s slotted into the league games, tailored to the league side has been absolutely terrific.
"So that's one of the benefits of the competition. Of course, in the early stages, we're able to make the number of changes that we want to make and, if the health of the squad was a little bit different, then the goal for tonight would have been a little bit different."
Three wins from Wembley
Pompey have already reached the final of the Papa John's Trophy twice before and have won the competition once, but there's every chance another visit to the capital could be on the cards come April.
The Fratton Park outfit are just three wins from a third visit to Wembley in this tournament. Having knocked out a strong Ipswich side on their own turf, Portsmouth will fancy their chances against anyone left in the hat.
That's even without some big names who were missing from the matchday squad, including the injured Michael Jacobs and the Qatar-bound Joe Morrell.
Fellow League One heavyweights Bolton Wanderers and Plymouth Argyle both remain in the competition, with the draw for the next round taking place on Thursday.
A reminder that the draw is still regionalised at this stage before opening up from the quarter-finals.
Potential recall
Owen Dale put in a man-of-the-match display against Ipswich, playing a direct role in the first goal and proving unlikely not to find the net himself on more than one occasion.
But talk of a possible January recall from parent club Blackpool has circulated in recent weeks, with the 22-year-old's performances appearing to catch the eye of Tangerines boss Michael Appleton.
Portsmouth boss Danny Cowley recently said: "Absolutely we understand the situation.
"This is the prerogative of the parent club. When they loan players out, there's normally always a release clause somewhere in there in the January transfer window.
"Ultimately, Owen has had a very good start to the season. I think he's brought a real energy and fizz to our team. He's a real character in the group."
Dale was not involved in Pompey's recent FA Cup victory at Hereford due to Blackpool denying him permission amid speculation about the Lancastrians not wanting him cup-tied should the recall clause be exercised.
Dale has featured in all 15 league matches since his arrival, starting all but two of those and scoring once.