Defender thrilled with first goal and clean sheet
He has helped Pompey keep back-to-back clean sheets with some solid defending.
But Matt Clarke also contributed at the other end of the pitch when he headed the Blues in front against Crawley.
The on-loan centre-back rose highest in the box to guide home Ben Davies’ corner after just 13 minutes at Fratton Park.
That set the hosts on their way to a comfortable 3-0 victory, with Marc McNulty and Gary Roberts also finding the target.
And Clarke was delighted to play his part in such a dominant display for Pompey.
He said: “Three points is the most important thing, but on a personal level it’s great to get my first senior goal.
“We work on set-pieces every week in training and I was able to get a yard on my marker.
“You know that the delivery will always be on point with Ben, so it’s just a case of being in the right place at the right time.
“It’s great to score in front of the Fratton End and also to keep another clean sheet at the back.
“We played very well in the first half and dominated, although Crawley came out a bit more after the break because they didn’t really have anything to lose.
“Perhaps we took our foot off the gas a bit, but I think that our all-round performance was very pleasing.
“We aim to pin sides into their own half, so that whenever they clear the ball it comes straight back to us.
“It’s enjoyable when we move the ball around like we did and especially when it leads to such a positive result.”
Delighted to get a good home win, buzzing to get my first career goal also!⚽️⚽️ #PUP
— Matthew Clarke (@MatthewClarke96) January 2, 2016