Skipper looking forward to Plymouth contest
It is definitely not a derby.
But Plymouth v Pompey is a clash between arguably the two biggest sides in the fourth tier of English football.
Both missed out in the play-offs last term, with Paul Cook’s side losing to the Pilgrims, who then went on to suffer Wembley heartache.
It is fourth against first at Home Park on Saturday and Michael Doyle is looking forward to the contest.
Pompey’s skipper said: “Plymouth have totally changed their team and we’ve got a few new players, so there won’t be too many people on the pitch from those play-off games.
“We came up short on that day and it was disappointing – we want to go a step further this season.
“But all we’re concentrating on now is picking up three points on Saturday against a side who have made a great start.
“They’re flying at the moment, so it’s a chance for us to test ourselves against some of the best players in this division.
“It was a great result for us at Leyton Orient last week because we were under a bit of pressure going into the game.
“I thought that we performed really well against tough opponents and it gives us something to build on going to Plymouth.”
Pompey are eight points behind their table-topping opponents and Doyle is not satisfied with their form so far this season.
He said: “We’ve been a little bit inconsistent and aren’t quite where we wanted to be at this stage.
“There’s plenty of room for improvement for us as a team and the only way we’re going to get better is by putting in the effort.”