Guy demands Blues keep it clean

Guy Whittingham has demanded Pompey maintain their newly-acquired defensive resilience as he bids to finally get them on the winning trail.

The Blues ended their run of nine successive defeats with a goalless draw at Hartlepool last night.

It ensured they didn’t set a new club record of 10 losses in a row – although they did create history by making it 20 matches without a win.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

In doing so, Pompey passed a record created in December 1975 under then-boss Ian St John.

Still, it was only a fourth point since the end of October for the Blues after an excellent defensive display.

They had to survive a late onslaught by Pools but, led by the superb Sam Sodje, stood firm.

It marked only a fourth clean sheet this season and Whittingham wants them to build on that for the visit of Carlisle this weekend.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

He said: ‘It’s not so much the point but the clean sheet as well – that is really something to build on.

‘It goes to prove that with the effort we put in that’s the very least we need to do.

‘We have to keep that concentration up and the effort and determination to keep clean sheets now.

‘I think a clean sheet is invaluable and that will hopefully bring a lot of confidence and is something to build on.

‘Hartlepool put us under a lot of pressure.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

‘They made some changes and we tried to cope with it, and you wonder whether to make a substitution or not. But I just felt we were dealing with everything coming into the box and dealing well with it so left it as it was.

‘There were some tired people in the dressing room and that just shows the determination was out there to get a clean sheet.

‘I don’t think Simon Eastwood was challenged too many times to bring off good saves.

‘Once in the first half he had to save one close by but nothing really else stung his hands and that’s a really pleasing thing.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

‘That shows people were putting their bodies on the line and heads in areas they might get kicked in. They were defending resolutely and bravely.’

Pompey’s form going into last night’s game meant they had equalled the club record of nine defeats on the trot – a figure now reached four times in the club’s 115-year history.

With that monkey finally off their back, they must now focus on getting that first win since October 20, when they defeated Shrewsbury at Fratton Park.

Carlisle visit the south coast on Saturday and will encounter a Blues side possessing a little more belief.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

For Whittingham, the Hartlepool draw is something to build on.

‘Of course there is a sense of relief – you don’t want to be in with that, especially a losing record,’ he said.

‘The other one – not winning in how many games – it is not nice to have but the important thing is we haven’t lost and got a clean sheet.

‘It is something to build on.’