Defender revels in first Pompey goal
There were not too many people urging Joe Devera to shoot when he received the ball on the edge of the box.
But that is exactly what the defender did and it proved the correct decision, with the ball flying into the net.
The goal ensured Pompey beat Stevenage 3-2 to earn their first victory in more than a month.
It also helped Devera atone for an earlier error that allowed the visitors to draw level.
He said: “It was a massive result for us, especially coming off the back of what happened on Saturday.
“We hadn’t won for so long, so it was important that we picked up all three points.
“It’s a great feeling to score. I just knew I had to get my head down and strike it.
“Once it went in it was all a bit of a blur and I can’t really remember how I celebrated.
“Everyone knew that I was gutted about the mistake at the other end and I thought I might have cost the team three points.
“But you’re going to make mistakes in football and you’ve just got to keep your cool and get on with it.”
Devera was pleased to see Pompey look more of an attacking threat against Stevenage.
He said: “We haven’t got too many goals of late, but we were always going to score a few in this one.
“We looked a lot more attacking and there was much more of a threat going forward, so that’s something to build on.”