Oli Hawkins believes he can make an impact for Pompey in the box this season.
The striker opened the scoring in Saturday’s 2-0 friendly victory at Swindon, rising to head home a cross from Jamal Lowe.
He concedes that tally should probably have been added to, with plenty of chances squandered at the County Ground.
But Hawkins was pleased with the overall performance and a chance to get a full game under his belt.
He said: “It was the first 90 minutes for a few of us and a nice bonus to get the clean sheet and a victory.
“We can be happy with that and now look to keep building and improving ahead of the opening game of the season.
"If the balls are coming into the box then that’s my area and with my size, it’s an area I can really dominate."
“Swindon had a lot of the ball, but we just wanted to remain solid and patient, and we knew we’d go on to score goals.
“I probably should have had a few, although it was nice to get one in and I’m pleased it helped us achieve a positive result.
“If the balls are coming into the box then that’s my area and with my size, it’s an area I can really dominate.”
Brett Pitman led the line for most of last season, but Hawkins were preferred at Swindon, with Conor Chaplin playing just behind.
The 26-year-old said: “It’s always good playing alongside Chappers and the partnership worked well at times. Between the two of us and Brett, there are going to be a lot of games for us to play.
“We had a couple of matches together last season and all we can do is our best for the team, making sure to take our chances when they came.
“There’s a lot of healthy competition and the manager will want to try out different combinations to see what works.”
Good to get 90mins in and a goal⚽️⚽️ pic.twitter.com/t8efeEH9Os
— oliver jack hawkins (@oliverhawkins08) July 21, 2018