Enda Stevens: We must deliver Pompey promotion

And the ever-present defender has insisted there is a great togetherness in the squad as Paul Cook’s men bid to get back on track in today’s clash with Bristol Rovers.

Defeat to Leyton Orient last time out extended Pompey’s winless league run to three, with results elsewhere this week seeing the Blues fall to eighth place.

But left-back Stevens, who joined Pompey in the summer following his release from Aston Villa, has reiterated the club’s promotion aim.

He said: ‘Promotion is what we have all come here to achieve.

‘We have to deliver that.

‘For this club to be in League Two isn’t good enough.

‘But it is, that’s the reality, so the aim is to get out as quickly as possible.

‘We haven’t won in our last three league games.

‘That’s a rut, so we have now got to get out of that and get back to going on this winning streak.

‘We take confidence knowing we have beaten Bristol Rovers earlier in the season.

‘But we also know they have a good away record and they are a strong team.’

Following their Orient disappointment, Pompey this week headed to Southsea seafront for a team-bonding lunch.

And Stevens paid tribute to the team’s togetherness as they enjoyed an unexpected, if cold, change of scenery.

‘This team’s got a good togetherness, probably the best I’ve seen since I’ve come to England,’ he said.

‘We tend to go for a coffee a few of us after training.

‘I think the manager felt because of the flatness it was best for us to go down to Southsea, have a laugh and a joke and pick the boys up.’

‘It was Baltic, though!’