Connolly sees positives for Pompey

The striker barely had a sniff of goal throughout the 90 minutes as the Blues went down to a sixth straight defeat in the 2-0 home loss to Notts County.

But while Pompey lacked a cutting edge in the final third, there was definite defensive improvement and a far more gritty and solid look about their performance.

Connolly believes that is progress in itself and he is now looking for results to mirror the improvement in performance.

He said: ‘I can see light at the end of the tunnel but maybe lots of others can’t.

‘If the performance level wasn’t there, then it might be more worrying.

‘I might sound like an idiot but the performances are going on an upward curve so hopefully the results will change as well.

‘If we weren’t playing well, then it would be different.

‘I thought the lads played really well – certainly in the first half.

‘It’s difficult because I thought the performance level was quite high in really tough conditions.’

Aside from Ashley Harris’ early effort on goal, Pompey barely created a chance of note.

And while Connolly and strike partner James Keene toiled away, neither had a genuine opportunity.

Connolly said: ‘We didn’t really have any clear-cut chances, apart from the Ashley Harris one. It just didn’t quite happen for us.

‘It seems like we have to work really hard to get a chance but then at the other end, they can tap it in from a couple of yards out.

‘It was a similar story to Saturday when the keeper saved one from me and we were all over them at the start of the game.

‘It was the same again this time. Then we concede a goal and everything drains away – not on purpose – but it just seems that way.

‘We just switched off a couple of times and they scored from two yards out for both goals.

‘I thought we did ever so well up until they scored.

‘But to go 1-0 down was a killer.’

While the much-travelled striker joined the club recently, Connolly has seen a huge change in the playing staff already.

‘We’ve had a lot of personnel changes again and it’s difficult to get a rhythm,’ said Connolly.

‘It seems like we are changing formations match by match at the moment.

‘It will come together but I don’t think our performance showed that it was a group of new lads playing.

‘We haven’t got a settled team but the performance didn’t show that.’

Connolly is also determined to stay positive in a bid to haul the club out of their dreadful run of form.

He said: ‘We are where we are and it’s not easy for anybody to come in and do well, but there are plenty of games left and hopefully things can change.

‘The fans turned out again in tough conditions and I don’t think they could say we didn’t try or anything like that.

‘You can’t go hiding away at this moment in time. You have to stand up and be counted.

‘So now we have to look ahead to Colchester on Saturday and get ourselves ready for that one.

‘It’s a match that if we can put in the same kind of performance level, things will turn for us.

‘We just have to keep working hard and doing the right things.’