Forgotten Barnsley loanee Lloyd Isgrove backed for Portsmouth breakthrough after eye-catching bow

It was the Pompey outing Lloyd Isgrove had waited more than a month to savour.
By Neil Allen
Published 5th Mar 2019, 16:46 BST
Updated 5th Mar 2019, 17:50 BST
Lloyd Isgrove was handed a rare Pompey outing for the reserves at Swindon yesterday afternoon. Picture: Colin Farmery/Portsmouth FCLloyd Isgrove was handed a rare Pompey outing for the reserves at Swindon yesterday afternoon. Picture: Colin Farmery/Portsmouth FC
Lloyd Isgrove was handed a rare Pompey outing for the reserves at Swindon yesterday afternoon. Picture: Colin Farmery/Portsmouth FC

Now the forgotten loanee has been backed to build on his reserve run-out and put pressure on the first-team.

The loanee from Barnsley was yesterday finally granted a Blues bow, albeit in reserve action at Swindon.

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Nonetheless, operating on the left of the attacking three, he netted in the 3-0 success at Swindon Supermarine’s Webbswood Stadium.

Watched by Kenny Jackett, it offered 90 minutes for Isgrove to impress.

Yet to make a first-team appearance and with his last involvement in the squad coming eight matches ago, yesterday was a morale-booster.

And first-team coach Jake Wigley, who took the side, was impressed with the former Southampton man's contribution.

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He said: ‘We scored all the goals in the first half, played well and dominated the majority of the game.

'We also had a number of chances in the second half where we could have increased the score and it was a very pleasing, professional performance in front of the manager.

'We operated with a 4-2-3-1, with Lloyd wide on the left-hand side, and he put some good balls into the box and got in good areas.

‘Before half time, he got into the box at the far post to finish off a good move for us.

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‘Lloyd’s a wide player with a low centre of gravity, who moves the ball well, looks to take people on in one-v-one situations and get into the box or get balls into the box.

‘Yesterday was a good day for him, getting 90 minutes under his belt and a goal for his confidence.

‘Hopefully sooner rather than later we’ll see him in the first team.

‘But all the lads needed that 90 minutes, they needed something in their legs and a proper game 11v11.

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'There are only so many five-a-sides you can play in training, it was good for them.’

Louis Dennis and Dion Donohue were also on target in a match which featured former Pompey favourite Danny Rose in the Swindon side on a comeback from injury.

With Brett Pitman, Adam May and Brandon Haunstrup in the Blues line-up, all three goals arrived in the first half of a contest arranged to hand fringe players precious match minutes.

 

Pompey: Bass; Bruce (52 mins Maloney), Casey, Hancott, Haunstrup, May, Donohue, Read, Pitman, Isgrove, Dennis.

Related topics:Jake WigleyPompeyBarnsleyPortsmouthSwindonBluesDanny Rose