Exciting to see Pompey players go all out attack

With a vibrant attacking display, Pompey ripped Leyton Orient apart at Fratton Park on Saturday.
It was the ideal time for Pompey to bring Conor Chaplin back. Picture: Joe PeplerIt was the ideal time for Pompey to bring Conor Chaplin back. Picture: Joe Pepler
It was the ideal time for Pompey to bring Conor Chaplin back. Picture: Joe Pepler

The 2-1 score did not reflect the dominance of Paul Cook’s side.

Gaffer for a day Joey Gurney, 27, from Southsea, provides his take on the game, answering questions from The News here...

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It was a really exciting, intense start from Pompey and you could tell the players were up for it.

The 2-1 scoreline flatters Orient if anything, that first half alone was one of our best performances for a few months.

We were pressing them high up the pitch and they couldn’t keep the ball.

Other than their good goal from Gavin Massey, they never looked like scoring and were fortunate we didn’t get plenty more in a good Pompey display.

What did you make of Paul Cook employing the 4-4-2?

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It was really pleasing to see Cook take that decision, we should always play two up front at home, it definitely makes a difference.

In the last few months we’ve had so much possession in Fratton Park matches without creating enough and I don’t think we should be as cautious as we seem.

That was different on Saturday, we were more attacking and should have won by many more.

Man of the match is rather obvious isn’t it?

Definitely, it has to be Conor Chaplin, simply for his goals more than anything.

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I thought his penalty was a really good save from the keeper, who guessed right to keep it out.

Seeing that happen made Conor more determined if anything and he was in the right place at the right time to score shortly afterwards.

It was great to see him back in the starting line-up, having scored a hat-trick for the reserves in the week it was the ideal time.

Hopefully we can get promoted to keep him at Fratton Park, we’ll have to see on that one.

How do you regard Pompey’s league progress at present?

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I am very encouraged, we could be in the top three this time next week.

Plymouth and Doncaster will probably finish as the top two, with Doncaster a better side than us.

We were a lot better than Carlisle in the opening game of the season.

And now they seem to be dropping off a bit.

Wycombe and Luton are not far behind us, though, with games in hand.

Ratings

David Forde 7

Gareth Evans 6 (Jamal Lowe 6)

Christian Burgess 8

Matt Clarke 7

Enda Stevens 6

Carl Baker 7

Danny Rose 5

Michael Doyle 6

Kal Naismith 6

Michael Smith 6

Conor Chaplin 9