PORTSMOUTH FOOTBALL CLUB

Pompey have collected five points from their first five matches in League Two.

Guy Whittingham would have liked a bigger yield from August’s fixtures.

The Blues have triumphed against Morecambe, drawn with Accrington and Mansfield and lost to Oxford and Chesterfield.

It is worth noting, however, that Pompey have yet to be beaten in the league when they have had 11 men on the field.

And Whittingham believes his side are progressing ahead of Saturday’s trip to Cheltenham.

The Blues boss said: “Performances have been decent, but we haven’t got as many points as we would have liked – or deserved.

“We’re striving to get that right and we always said it might take a while with so many new players in.

“Let’s see where we are at the end of September when we’ve got this tough run of games out of the way.

“The fans want to see decent football with players putting in a shift and I definitely think we’re moving in the right direction.

“We want to tighten up a bit if we can, while also taking more of our chances. But we are creating opportunities and I’d be more worried if we weren’t.”

Cheltenham are one point and three places behind Pompey in the table, but Whittingham still expects a difficult test at the Abbey Business Stadium.

He said: “Every game is going to be tough this season – and this one will be no exception.

“I know they lost in the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy in midweek, but by all accounts they played very well.

“They scored three goals, so we have to make sure we work hard and play with plenty of desire.

“Cheltenham have got dangerous players who are capable of scoring goals, so we have to be organised.

“We’ll make sure our players are aware of what they’ll be up against and that they do the jobs required of them.”

Marcos Painter and Tom Craddock are the only injury doubts for Pompey this weekend.

Whittingham said: “Tom hasn’t had many training sessions and we want to make sure he comes back at the right time, while it might be too early for Marcos.”


Cheltenham have asked us to advise fans that, due to lack of space, flags and musical instruments will not be permitted inside the ground on Saturday.