Boss reflects on Crawley win
There were plenty of complaints after a home defeat to Crewe on Saturday.
But Pompey answered their critics in the best way possible – by finally climbing up to third spot in the League Two table.
They recovered from Eoin Doyle’s missed penalty to secure a 2-0 victory at Crawley, courtesy of second half goals from Christian Burgess and Kyle Bennett.
And Paul Cook was thrilled with the way his side got their promotion challenge back on track.
The Blues boss said: “I’m delighted with the way the team performed – it was a really strong Pompey performance.
“We were set up in a way I like the game to be played and it was apparent from the first minute that we dominated.
“We were getting into some great positions and I was always confident that we would score. We missed a penalty again and had a lot of other chances, so we had to stay patient.
“It’s hard when opponents are getting so many men behind the ball. It can be frustrating, but our lads never let it get to that.
“We opened them up and I was really proud of our display, while our support was absolutely amazing.
“We all feel it after a bad result and that’s the way to answer your critics. There’s no other way.
“We lifted ourselves off the floor, so let’s make sure we stay off it because there’s still so much to play for.
“The response was great and we’re up to a nice league position, which we can enjoy for a bit before another massive game on Saturday.”
Enda Stevens went off injured for Pompey between the two goals, meaning that Kal Naismith had to fill in at left-back.
Cook said: “I don’t like Naismith at left-back – he makes my heart go into the lower regions of my body, so let’s hope Enda’s fit for Saturday! He’s got a dead leg, so he should be alright.”
Watch the manager’s thoughts on the game below or subscribe to Pompey PlayerHD for extended highlights.