Winger says Pompey have to make stadium a tough place to visit
A trip to Fratton Park will undoubtedly be ringed in the calendar for most League Two sides this season.
Playing in front of a passionate crowd, in a large stadium and on a perfect pitch are all big draws.
But Andy Barcham wants to turn a trip to the south coast into a nightmare for visiting teams.
And the winger hopes that Morecambe will be their first victims of the season this weekend.
He said: “We knew going into the season that we’d be a scalp and that coming here would be like a cup final for many teams.
“It’s our job to counter that and make Fratton Park a fortress, not a place where teams want to come and enjoy their football.
“We would have liked to get a win earlier, but we’ve done okay. We’re a new team and it will take time for our players to gel.
“We’re working hard in training and performances have definitely progressed since our first game.
“If we play like we did Accrington last week then more often than not we’ll get the three points.
“We’re moving in the right direction and hopefully we can get a win on Saturday to match those performances.”
Barcham believes that the Pompey supporters have a huge part to play this season.
He said: “Everyone’s been speaking about the noise and the atmosphere ever since I arrived and it was fantastic against Oxford.
“The fans have shown that they’ll travel anywhere to support the club and that’s fantastic.
“We know they’ll turn up in large numbers and that every game at Fratton Park this season will be special.”
Barcham came close to opening his goalscoring account at Accrington last week, but saw his shot cleared off the line following a fine run that started inside his own half.
“I’m trying to forget it,” he said. “You don’t get anything for an ‘ooh’. It was a good run, but it was disappointing not to get on the scoresheet.
“I’m enjoying my football at the moment and hopefully I can contribute to the team winning games.”