Cook tells of pride in dominant Pompey display

Paul Cook spoke of his Pompey pride after breaking into League Two's automatic promotion spots.
Kyle Bennett celebrates after scoring Pompey's second goal. Picture: Joe PeplerKyle Bennett celebrates after scoring Pompey's second goal. Picture: Joe Pepler
Kyle Bennett celebrates after scoring Pompey's second goal. Picture: Joe Pepler

The Blues bounced back from their abject Crewe showing with an excellent performance at Crawley last night.

Christian Burgess and Kyle Bennett netted with second-half goals to clinch a thoroughly-deserved 2-0 victory.

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Eoin Doyle also missed a penalty as Pompey demonstrated character and heart as they climbed above Carlisle into third place.

Cook and his team had been stung by their Crewe failure three days earlier, but Pompey’s boss was beaming at the Broadfield Stadium display.

He said: ‘I am proud of my club, I enjoy it.

‘My chairman is a brilliant fella for me, I get unbelievable support from the chief executive, Tony Brown and all the board.

‘Everyone wants success dead quick in this day and age and I can genuinely tell our fans we do our best for them.

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‘We don’t come in for an hour in a day. We actually come in, watch DVDs, analyse games, we do everything to make these supporters proud of us and one day I hope to make them proud.

‘I am quite a strong character in my own little way and I always feel for people around me.

‘There was a massive disappointment around the club on Saturday, the reaction at the end of the game wasn’t spoken about a lot.

‘We are a group of lads doing our best to give this club what they want and if it’s not good enough we will get removed and someone else will come and have a go.

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‘We have responded with the best way. It was such a strong team performance, we were dominant, well-balanced, we had good players all over the pitch.

‘There’s a long way to go. There’s a lot of good teams competing for that spot and we have given ourselves a great chance.’

Pompey now find themselves in third position with 11 matches remaining.

Meanwhile, Plymouth’s 3-0 home defeat to Blackpool ensures they are six points ahead in second place and still to come to Fratton Park.

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And Cook praised his side’s character during the ongoing promotion push.

He added: ‘We’ve got great character, I actually think they need putting under pressure at times because it’s the best way.

‘After Saturday, you had to allow that flatness to sink in, then you must respond. If you have character you don’t lie down and die - my teams don’t lie down and die for anyone.

‘I have players in that dressing room that if we wanted to go ugly and wanted to put it up teams we can, make no bones about it, but we enjoy passing and playing.

‘And we feel when we get an open game we will be alright.’