To lift the trophy ()
Each team played in group stage matches to begin with. Games level after 90 minutes went straight to penalties and the winner would get an extra point. After that, it was straight knockout with teams playing in the north or the south region. The same applied in regards to group stage draws, penalties would decide the winner.
Portsmouth finished top of Group A in the Southern section of the competition. They ended above Tottenham under-21s, Gillingham and Crawley. Pompey then beat Arsenal U21s, Southend, Peterborough and Bury to reach the final.
Sunderland's group saw them come up against Stoke under-21s, Carlisle and Morecambe. They then eliminated Notts County, Newcastle under-21s and Man City under-21s before beating Bristol Rovers away from home in the semi-final.