Defender in goalscoring form heading into Pompey reunion

Now the central defender is focusing on former club Pompey as the next challenge for table-topping Plymouth.

Derek Adams’ side are five points clear at the summit of League Two, with the best defensive record in the division.

This summer’s recruitment of Sonny Bradley from Crawley has helped strengthen a team which lost in the play-off final last term.

The defender made 38 appearances and scored twice during his Fratton Park stay for the 2013-14 campaign, although failed to win over a section of fans.

Now aged 25, he scored twice for Plymouth in Saturday’s 2-1 victory over Stevenage.

The feat was even more eye-catching considering Bradley also registered an own goal in the Lamex Stadium fixture.

In terms of goals at the right end, it took his tally to three in 14 matches for the Pilgrims.

And next up are his former employers at Home Park.

Bradley told the club website: ‘We’ve got a really tough game next week, Portsmouth at home.

‘We’ve just got to make sure we train hard like we can, keep up the momentum and take that into next week.

‘It’ll possibly be a different game next week, but we’re capable of playing good football as well. It’s obviously my old club.

‘They’re a good team – you can guarantee they’ll be there or thereabouts in the play-offs come the end of the season. It is my ex-club, but it’s just another game.

‘It’s just another team we’re playing.

‘We’ve just got to prepare like we prepare every week, then we’ve got to go again next Saturday and give everything again.’

Bradley was recruited alongside Danny East from Hull in free-transfer deals in May 2013.

Signing a two-year Pompey contract, he was a regular at the heart of the defence under manager Guy Whittingham and then in the early days of Ritchie Barker.

However, he would start just one of the Blues’ final 14 fixtures as he slipped out of the first-team picture.

Bradley did, though, net a late goal as an emergency centre forward in the remarkable 4-4 draw at Bury in April 2014.

That would be his last appearance for Pompey.

In June 2014, he departed for Crawley for an undisclosed fee, featuring 79 times and scoring twice.

Now he is on Plymouth’s books – and scoring goals.