Boss reflects on Accrington defeat
There has been plenty of positivity flying around Pompey in recent weeks.
But it was back down to earth with a bump following a dour 1-0 defeat to Accrington on a sunny afternoon in the north-west.
A superb second half strike from Paddy Lacey proved the difference between the sides in a contest that produced little in the way of entertainment.
And Paul Cook conceded that his troops were well below par as their winning run ended with a whimper.
The Blues boss said: “We never really got going – it was probably as lacklustre a performance as we’ve had this season.
“There wasn’t much in the game and no point when either team seemed to be in the ascendancy.
“We got into better situations than them in the first half, but without ever looking threatening.
“The second half just wasn’t good enough – you can’t come away from home and be as toothless as we were.
“There were no real chances, but it’s easy to say how bad we were – we have to give credit to Accrington. It was a great win for them and, I believe, a deserved one.
“I’ve been in this business long enough to know that there are no easy fixtures. We’ve won four games, but you always know what’s around the corner.
“Our fans are disappointed and rightly so, but no more than me and the players, so we have to be ready to go again.
“I’ve always said that how we manage our disappointments will determine how successful our season is.”
Conor Chaplin, Kal Naismith and Milan Lalkovic were introduced from the bench in quick succession after the break, but it had little impact on Pompey’s display.
Cook said: “I thought the substitutions actually made us worse because we changed the system and lost any balance.
“You make decisions like that to try to win the game, but unfortunately on this occasion it just didn’t work.”