Boss reflects on Grimsby victory
As the seconds ticked down it seemed like Pompey would be left feeling frustrated.
They had dominated for long periods against Grimsby at Blundell Park without being able to find a breakthrough.
But, with a draw looking likely, substitute Kal Naismith stepped up curl home a fantastic free-kick and secure all three points.
And Paul Cook revealed that he was confident his side had enough firepower to breach the Mariners’ resistance.
The Blues boss said: “When you’ve got players like Naismith, Lalkovic, Chaplin and Hunt on the bench you know there’s always a goal in you.
“I don’t like to single players out, but Kal deserves a big pat on the back. He’s got amazing talent and now we want to see that on a more regular basis.
“I can’t remember our last defeat away from home and it was another clean sheet – now we need to show that mentality at Fratton Park.
“We looked a good team again and it’s just about eradicating those little errors in our game. If we do that we’ll be okay.
“I thought we did enough to win a competitive contest and that we were the better team, although Grimsby did put us under a bit of pressure.
“It was a little marker that we’re doing okay and that we have got plenty of character in this squad.
“I’m delighted for the supporters mainly. To travel up like they do in such large numbers is excellent – especially at this time of year.”
The result also meant that a 260-mile trip back to the south coast suddenly became a lot more bearable.
Cook joked: “It was a long journey home from Fratton Park when we lost to Stevenage, so we’ll be alright with this one!”
Watch the manager's thoughts on the game below or subscribe to Pompey PlayerHD for full post-match content.
Watch the manager's thoughts on the game below or subscribe to Pompey PlayerHD for full post-match content.