Defender excels in Newport triumph
There was a surprise when the teams were read out at Rodney Parade before kick-off.
Adam Webster was handed his first league start of the season in the centre of defence against Newport.
The young academy graduate grasped his opportunity with both hands by producing a peerless display.
He helped limit the hosts to scraps, ensuring that Matt Tubbs’ strike in first half stoppage-time was the winner.
And Webster was delighted to get a chance to impress alongside Christian Burgess in the Blues back-line.
He said: “We spend a lot of time training together and know how everyone plays, so it felt fairly natural to slot straight into the side.
“I heard I was starting the day before and was really excited about getting my chance in the team.
“I felt like I did well in the cup games earlier in the season, but we’ve been at the top of the league, so the manager’s not going to make too many changes.
“There’s competition for places here and that’s always healthy for the team, so I just had to be patient and wait for my chance.
“Thankfully we got the outcome we were looking for and I’m obviously delighted with how it’s turned out.
“You’re going to come against sides with a physical presence in League Two and I thought we dealt with the threat.”
Pompey were never put under pressure by their hosts, but struggled to create too many clear-cut chances at the other end.
Webster said: “It wasn’t the prettiest of games, but the result is the most important thing and we got all three points.
“There will be matches like that throughout a long season and that’s when you have to really dig in.
“Now we’ve got two massive games at Fratton Park and hopefully we can get a couple of decent results to put us in a really strong position.”