Gaffer: An emotional Portsmouth win

What did you make of the game?

AFC Wimbledon were always going to come out better after their dire first-half display, they were lucky it was only 1-0.

Ronan Curtis was roaring down the left flank, yet there was that worry the Dons could always come back. They definitely weren't going to play that badly again.

For 20 minutes in the second half you have to say the equaliser was coming '“ and what an unbelievable strike.

The crowd also didn't get up for it until Wimbledon levelled. From the Fratton end, you couldn't sense an atmosphere around the ground, but once their goal went in the roar came back.

 

Why do you think the match changed after the interval?

I suppose it has been a long Christmas, a lot of games played and people do get tired.

Injuries meant we had Anton Walkes and Brandon Haunstrup as our full-backs, while overall energy levels do drop at this time of year.

So to come out with a win is fantastic, especially responding so well to the equaliser.

We could have put the game to bed, but you can't say Wimbledon's equaliser wasn't coming '“ but we reacted superbly.

Who was your man of the match?

Ben Thompson just edges it for me, I don't know where he gets his energy from.

Hopefully it's not the last we see of him, deservedly the whole ground rose when he was substituted in time added on.

He has such good energy levels and, for a small guy, I have never seen anyone win so many headers in midfield, his spring is incredible. Even the ones he loses are close.

Thompson returning to Millwall is a worry, I don't know how we'll replace him or what the other options are. We are going to lose a Championship player.

 

A winning way to send you off for a new life in Spain too!

It was emotional, I've been going to that football ground for 50 years and took lots of pictures of all the stands and the people.

As I was going up the stairs at the back of the Fratton end and the players were going around clapping, with Barry Harris doing his bit as well, I got quite emotional.

The crowd were chanting '˜Play Up Pompey' and a shiver ran down my spine. I will be back, but I'll miss it.

My best memory is winning the FA Cup, my all-time favourite player is Alan Rogers, but there also the likes of Knightsie, Robert Prosinecki, Paul Merson, David James, Norman Piper and, in the current day, Matt Clarke.

What a great club.

 

 

 

Craig MacGillivray 7

Anton Walkes 7

Jack Whatmough 7

Matt Clarke 8

Brandon Haunstrup 7

Tom Naylor 7

Ben Thompson 9

Jamal Lowe 8

Gareth Evans

Ronan Curtis 8

Oli Hawkins 7