Defender impressed by support in Oxford defeat
Sonny Bradley was left stunned by Pompey’s support against Oxford.
The defender was one of six players making their full competitive debut for the Blues in the League Two opener.
Ultimately it was a day of disappointment, with the hosts going down 4-1 to Chris Wilder’s side.
But there were more than 18,000 packed inside Fratton Park and the fans certainly left an impression on Bradley.
He said: “There were so many people already there when I first came into the ground.
“I knew it was going to be buzzing and when we came out of the tunnel it was absolute madness.
“Even when we were losing they carried on getting behind us and supporting us.
“A lot of them stayed to clap us off at the end, which I didn’t expect after losing. We have to thank them for that.”
Skipper Johnny Ertl was sent off during the defeat, although Bradley felt that poor defending also cost Pompey dear.
He said: “We looked good for the first 30 minutes and everyone was buzzing.
“But a couple of basic defensive errors cost us and we went in 2-1 down at the break.
“Then Johnny got sent off and I think it was an easy decision for the referee, especially with the commotion that their players made.
“We lost a lot of our shape after that and didn’t do well at all.
“We went three at the back because the gaffer wanted to stay positive and we always respect his decision.”