Doyle: Injuries won't halt promotion push

Michael Doyle believes Pompey's injury woes will not stop them in their march towards promotion.
Pompey captain Michael Doyle. Picture: Joe PeplerPompey captain Michael Doyle. Picture: Joe Pepler
Pompey captain Michael Doyle. Picture: Joe Pepler

The Blues will be without strikers Eoin Doyle and Noel Hunt for Saturday’s clash against Yeovil at Fratton Park.

Doyle has been ruled out for the rest of the season with a groin problem, while Noel Hunt is out for at least four weeks. He dislocated his shoulder in the 2-0 win at Hartlepool.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

But Pompey skipper Doyle has revealed there is plenty of confidence in the Fratton Park dressing room and it will not halt their push for League One football.

Doyle said: ‘Everybody is so confident. When you have that confidence and belief, it is hard to stop.

‘At the minute, we are pretty stretched. Losing Hunt last week, he has waited so long for a chance.

‘He was having his best game at the club, I felt. He was brilliant in the first half and he goes and gets an injury.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

‘Things like that before would have hampered us in a sense of looking round and thinking “how are we going to score?”

‘But the gaffer puts Kal up front and we keep going. Nothing is holding us back and there’s a real belief, even when we’re losing good players.

‘Everyone is chomping to play and it’s great. That’s just confidence and belief and desire to get where we want to get.

‘We’ve got ourselves into a great position.’

Pompey are desperate to secure automatic promotion after the heartbreak of the play-offs last year.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Doyle reckons a greater ruthlessness in front of goal is behind the Blues’ rise to third place.

He added: ‘You lose experience players like Eoin and Noel. You don’t just miss them on the pitch but in the dressing room. They’re good characters and great pros.

‘But if people like Naismith, Baker, Bennett, Roberts and Chaplin get chances, at the minute, they’re going to score.

‘That’s the difference why we’re winning games and not drawing like last year. People are getting chances and they’re scoring.’