Gaffer for a day: Pompey 3 Bristol Rovers 1

Looks like your dog correctly predicted the scoreline then.

Yes, Barney was all smug afterwards, and rightly so!

It was a really good performance from Pompey.

When they play like that they are the best team in the division by a country mile.

My concern, however, is can we win in other ways?

There is no stopping us in that mood.

But we are not allowed to play our natural game in every match.

We need to get a few dirty 1-0s to string a few wins together now. Cheap goals from set-pieces, anything, just to put together a run.

Anyone stand out for you?

Gareth Evans was my man of the match, a player who always gives 100 per cent.

It was a brilliant finish for the opening goal and he gives us that width, getting through a lot of unseen work.

Whenever the team loses the ball he is prepared to work back, while is willing to close down the opposition. He’s a really good all-rounder.

I know Gary Roberts got the sponsors’ man of the match and there were definitely some positive signs from him.

As for Adam Webster, he was also outstanding. The key to the victory was us winning physical battles and he started it off against Rory Gaffney.

What did you make of Bristol Rovers?

They were disappointing. I am not sure whether their game plan was to bully us but it definitely didn’t come off.

We stood up to them and it was interesting watching the dynamics of Michael Doyle and Ben Close.

Doyle won it back by flying into tackles while Close didn’t get involved in that stuff. At one point Close intercepted the ball twice in a few minutes, so his reading of the game is either intelligent or very lucky.

Back up to fifth in the table then, what next?

We will only know at the end of the season how important Saturday’s win was.

It is about where Pompey go from here and it is a bit of a funny league at the moment.

You look at Northampton churning them out, but I think Plymouth could be the ones to crack put under pressure.