There was a danger that it was going to be ‘one of those days’ at Fratton Park for Pompey against Crewe.
Dominated possession? Check. Creating chances? Check. Playing with confidence and an attacking mentality? Check.
But the interval arrived without any goals being scored and fans might have been wondering if their side could find a way through.
That is exactly what they did shortly after the restart, though, as John Marquis angled home the opener before Marcus Harness wrapped up the points.
It makes it two wins from two for Pompey in the league and Danny Cowley was pleased with what he saw.
The Blues boss said: “It was a good performance and we were pleased with the energy and intensity, while we also played with purpose and control.
“I was a little bit disappointed with the first half, when we didn’t execute as well as we could have in the final third.
“But we came out after the break and knew that if we kept the same levels, then we would be able to find a way.
“It does feel a lot easier when your kicking towards the Fratton End and that was obviously a big help for us.
“The fans were exceptional – it felt like there were 30,000 inside the ground – and we really appreciate that.
"It does feel a lot easier when your kicking towards the Fratton End and that was obviously a big help for us."
“John scored a great first goal and I’m pleased for him because he’s been working incredibly hard for the team against the ball.
“I always feel that football’s an honest game, so it’s always a good thing when you see players get their rewards.
“If we got the first, then we felt we would get the second – and so it proved. It was a lovely goal – I’ve got Marcus down for 12, so that’s one for him!
“I thought Ryan Tunnicliffe was excellent – he was the best player on the pitch for me. He’s got to keep that up now.
“It’s a positive start for us, but we’re not getting carried away and there’s still a lot of work for us to do.”
There were four changes from a midweek cup defeat at Millwall, including a debut for Gavin Bazunu between the sticks.
Cowley said: “Alex didn’t play at all last season, so it would have been a real challenge for him to have three 90 minutes in a week.
“I’ve said before that I feel we’ve got two of the best young goalkeepers around – certainly in this country.
“We’d planned to change in midweek, but Gavin was quite ready to start after coming back from that quad injury.
“There’s so much faith in him that he can be a real protagonist in our attacking play, despite wearing the number one.”