Tubbs revels in late Luton victory
Paul Cook had stuck with the same starting 11 for four successive League Two matches.
But he dropped Matt Tubbs to the bench at Luton – and the striker responded in perfect fashion.
He pounced to grab the winner at the death after fellow substitute Conor Chaplin saw his shot saved.
It was a typical predatory finish from a man who was the division’s top scorer last season and Tubbs was delighted to play his part in a 2-1 triumph.
He said: “It’s always nice to score. It doesn’t matter what minute it is – you’ve just got to make sure you’re in the right place at the right time.
“My game’s not about doing four step-overs and bending one in the top corner, it’s about preying on weaknesses and being ready.
“Conor did well to get into a shooting position and it was a good save, but I was there to tuck it away.
“Now I’ve just got to keep myself fit and try to state my case to feature in as many games as possible.”
Tubbs admits that the depth in Pompey’s squad is going to make it harder to nail down a starting berth.
He said: “Anyone can come in and do a decent job and it’s great to have that level of competition in the side.
“The squad’s fantastic at the moment and I think that gives the manager a headache in every game.
“It means that everyone’s going to be determined to work hard and play well to keep their place.
“The manager’s brought in a lot of new faces and everyone’s gelled really well, which doesn’t always happen.
“We’ve showed plenty of unity and if the squad is united then it can be worth a lot of points come the end of the season.”