Striker disappointed despite late leveller
Jayden Stockley savoured his first goal for Pompey.
But despite his effort completing a remarkable turnaround, the striker was still disappointed that they could only draw with Morecambe.
The Blues had fallen three goals down before Gary Roberts’ free-kick reduced the deficit before the interval.
Roberts added another in the second half and the hosts kept pushing forward even after Enda Stevens had been sent off.
Fratton Park then erupted when substitute Stockley met Adam Webster’s cross with a diving header to rescue a draw.
But although he was happy to open his account, the goal hero was frustrated not to claim all three points.
Stockley said: “We fought hard to come back from three down, but are still pretty gutted that we’ve missed out on two points.
“The atmosphere in the changing room at the end wasn’t one of happiness because we expect more of each other.
“It was brilliant to hear that roar when I scored, though, and I just couldn’t contain myself, even though it was just for a draw.
“It’s something that I’ll definitely remember – I’ve never heard anything like it before.
“That first half wasn’t up to the standards that we’ve set for ourselves. We just didn’t start well enough.
“But we’ve got a great squad of lads here and we’ll need to show plenty more grit and determination if we want to do well in this league.
“We’ll just keep taking each game as it comes and all the players will be looking to contribute to a successful Pompey side.”
The Blues now turn their attentions to hosting Reading in the Capital One Cup on Tuesday night.
Stockley said: “We enjoyed the Derby game and now we’ve got another chance to test ourselves against a good Championship team, so we’re looking forward to it.”
Watch interviews with Stockley and Ian Foster on Pompey PlayerHD now or see a short snippet of the chat with Foster below.
Watch interviews with Stockley and Ian Foster on Pompey PlayerHD now or see a short snippet of the chat with Foster below.