Skipper happy to get off the mark
It was some way to open his goalscoring account for Pompey.
With the Blues already leading 2-0 at promotion rivals Accrington, Michael Doyle lined up a left-foot volley from 25 yards.
And there were even home fans applauding after the ball rocketed into the net to give the visitors a commanding lead at the interval.
It is surely a contender for goal of the season, but Doyle was simply relieved to finally break his duck.
Pompey’s skipper said: “I’d have taken a two-yard tap-in because it’s been pretty frustrating for me.
“When I scored at Havant & Waterlooville in July, I thought it was great because it’s not like me to score in pre-season.
“I’ve had a few shots throughout the campaign that just haven’t managed to go in, but I caught this one sweetly.
“I knew that I’d made a decent connection, although you’re never sure until you see the ball hit the net.
“It all happened so quickly – most of the time those shots don’t come off and the ball ends up in the stands.
“So it’s a great feeling, but the most important thing for me is the three points and now we need to go again.”
Doyle was particularly pleased with how Pompey fared before the interval at the Wham Stadium.
He said: “The lads were absolutely brilliant in the first half, although I was a bit disappointed with how we did after the break.
“We probably should have seen the game off a bit better, but overall it was an extremely professional performance.
“The first half display is one of the best I’ve been involved with throughout my career – we were outstanding.”