Cook: We have achieved nothing yet

Paul Cook savoured taking another step towards promotion but warned: We have achieved nothing yet.
Pompey boss Paul Cook with Leam Richardson. Picture: Joe PeplerPompey boss Paul Cook with Leam Richardson. Picture: Joe Pepler
Pompey boss Paul Cook with Leam Richardson. Picture: Joe Pepler

Pompey moved eight points clear of the chasing pack in third place with a 3-1 success over Yeovil Town on Saturday.

That tightened their grip on their automatic slot to reach League One with five games remaining in the campaign.

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The vibrant anticipation of success this season could be felt among the crowd of 17,564 in the spring sunshine at Fratton Park.

Cook enjoyed that experience and can sense the continuing momentum as Pompey picked up their sixth win in seven.

He said: ‘It’s nice for the supporters.

‘We haven’t achieved anything but it’s nice for them to have a good day. It really is.

‘That is what everyone is in football for.

‘Pompey have been kicked quite a lot.

‘We’ve had no success yet but days like these are hugely important for supporters.

‘It’s pleasing for them.

‘It’s the feelgood factor.

‘At this stage of the season, any win is huge.

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‘If we get another win quickly we’re going to put ourselves in a very strong position.’

Cook did add a note of caution as an end-of-season feelgood factor surrounds Pompey.

The 50-year-old is heartened by the gap between them and their rivals at a crucial point in the season.

But the Blues boss highlighted there is still plenty of work ahead to complete the job.

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Cook feels the tougher parts of his tenure are now allowing the fruits of a strong period to be enjoyed.

He said: ‘I don’t want to get too ahead of myself at this moment in time.

‘The lads are training well and very focused.

‘The team is very balanced at the minute. We feel we have goals in us.

‘We feel we have threats.

‘We could say how good we our and pat ourselves on the back.

‘The reality, though, is we haven’t achieved anything yet.

‘An eight-point gap is great to have with five games to go.

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‘What number of points is the magic number? The important thing is we keep winning.

‘We have an appetite to be successful at this club.

‘That’s been born out of months of pain.

‘If you don’t go through the pain, you won’t enjoy the joy.

‘With five games to go, we don’t know where we will finish.

‘This can be a horrible game.

‘No one saw the half-time Colchester score coming against Stevenage but it can happen in this game.

‘At Chesterfield [Cook’s former club] we were 3-0 up at Morecambe away – and lost 4-3. It’s football.

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‘So you have to be careful and stay focused on what you’re trying to do at the moment.

‘After the disappointment of conceding the equaliser, we went on to win the game quite comfortably.

‘We passed the ball so much better after conceding and that’s a credit to the players.

‘We’re a team focused on achieving our ambitions.’