Bishop Auckland Under-15s were hit with a cruel sucker punch in the decisive second leg of the final of the English Schools Trophy last night.

After peppering Portsmouth's net for long periods in search of the goal that would bring them back into the tie after arriving at Fratton Park one down from the first leg, they were sunk by a strike from Louis Bell in added time.

They had their opponents on the rack in the last 15 minutes, with keeper Jack Stansbridge twice having to perform heroics to deny first Wayne Clarke and then Adam Comby. But, as they committed men forward, Bell took advantage running half the length of the pitch before breaking Bishops' hearts by slotting under Kris Carr's body.

Manager Kelvin Simpson said: "After the first leg I didn't think we had done ourselves justice. But the lads did themselves absolute justice tonight.

"They took the game to them, we created chances and they have given it absolutely everything.

"The lads are devastated in the dressing room. You obviously feel for them. But it's a fantastic achievement and I hope that, in time, they will see that."

Referring to the two shots that Bishops saw saved late on Simpson said: "Once you have seen two opportunities disappear close to the end, you only get so many in a match against a team with a good defence and I think we probably knew then that we were going to lose."

Dejected captain Richard Langthorne insisted his teammates could hold their heads up high, he said: "We didn't deserve to get beat and I'm really proud of everyone. We were fantastic, we were just unlucky not to score. If it wasn't for their keeper - he was probably man of the match."

Bishops really turned the screw in the second period and Simpson believed this was down to the half-time teamtalk, he said: "We have got a lot of very tenacious, hard-working, defensive-minded players. It was just a matter of pushing them beyond their own defensive duties and getting players up the park and I think we managed to do that in the second half."

Bishops began brightly, the one goal deficit requiring that they give their all from the off.

Just two minutes in, Seb Coady went on a storming run down the right, going the length of the Pompey half before crossing. Unfortunately, he was unable to pick anyone out and the ball was cleared for a corner.

From the flag kick a Bishops head connected with the ball from within a throng of players and home keeper, Stansbridge, was forced to clear, somewhat unconvincingly, off his own line.

But it was evident Portsmouth, with away goals counting for nothing, were not intent on sitting on their slender lead and they caused panic in Bishops' defence after four minutes when keeper Carr's clearance on the right edge of the area struck Billy Huntley. Thankfully, though, his shot lacked conviction and the danger was cleared.

There was another scare for the North-East side a quarter of the way through the half when skipper Langthorne was penalised for bringing down Huntley on the edge of the area.

The big defender clearly clipped the heels of the fleet-footed southerner as he bore down on goal after being put through by Bell, but referee Matthew Knight opted to show leniency and brandished just a yellow card when it could so easily have been red.

Putting the fright behind them, Bishops pushed forward again and were close to levelling the scores when Clarke sent a glancing header from a Lewis Hope corner just the wrong side of the post.

The second half began in steady rain and Bishops were first to show, Ross Woodward sending over a teasing right wing cross which almost caught the Pompey keeper out. Arching backwards, he was able to scoop the ball from under his own bar, but, in so doing, succeeded in pushing it into the path of Coady. However, the angle was acute and stretch as he might he could not force the ball back across goal.

There was then a huge let-off for Bishops on 52 minutes when a free-kick from on halfway was pumped into the box. Carr came to punch but the striker, on the books of Premiership Southampton, beat him to the ball and was able to send a backwards header over him and towards goal. Much to the custodian's relief the ball dropped agonisingly wide.

Bishops' Mark Wood fired into the side-netting under pressure from six yards and alarm bells rang at the other end when John Barker and keeper Carr could not decide who wanted the ball and Huntley almost sneaked in.

Only the brilliance of keeper Stanbridge denied Bishops an equaliser as the game hit top gear with 15 minutes left. First he tipped over Clarke's stunning half-volley and seconds later recreated the feat to thwart Comby's 20 yard cracker.

As Bishops threw the kitchen sink at their opponents in search of the elusive goal, Langthorne planted a header just over.

Boss Simpson brought on Ian Pritchard for Hope, who had run his socks off, with seven minutes left but it was just not to be, Bishops going down to Bell's dagger to the heart at the death.

Bishop Auckland: K.Carr; L.Hope (I.Pritchard, 73mins) J.Barker, R.Langthorne (capt), L.Marr; W.Clarke, M.Wood, A.Comby, R.Woodward; S.Coady, D.Dowson

English Schools Trophy Final

Portsmouth 1 - 0 Bishop Auckland

Portsmouth win 2-0 on aggregate