Michael Doyle: Pompey must resolve stuttering home form

SKIPPER Michael Doyle has challenged Pompey to turn around their spluttering home form.
Pompey skipper Michael Doyle Picture: Joe PeplerPompey skipper Michael Doyle Picture: Joe Pepler
Pompey skipper Michael Doyle Picture: Joe Pepler

The Blues have disappointingly drawn recent Fratton Park outings against Accrington Stanley and Morecambe.

Regardless, they encouragingly remain in fifth spot after six matches during an unbeaten start to the League Two campaign.

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Next up are Barnet at Fratton Park on Saturday – a side who currently sit 21st, having won only once in all competitions so far this season.

Blues boss Paul Cook admitted there were no positives to come out of last weekend’s goalless draw against Stanley.

Now Doyle has urged his team-mates to spark their Fratton form into life.

He said: ‘It’s another home game on Saturday and after two bad results – in the sense of drawing – we need to be really at it and put on a performance.

‘We have to create chances and play the way we know we can.

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‘That’s twice now that has happened at home and you don’t want to be getting into a habit, so it’s certainly something which needs to be addressed.

‘I don’t think it is something which can be brushed under the carpet and said “It is one of those days”, it has happened on two occasions now.

‘Against Morecambe we got done on the counter-attack three times and ended up putting in a great performance to get a point, but we shouldn’t have been getting ourselves in that situation.

‘Last Saturday, at the other end of the scale, we didn’t create any chances and looked lacklustre.

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‘It just didn’t happen and we have got to start making sure because home games are our bread and butter.

‘I suppose there are plenty of positives about the season so far but we need to get a lot, lot better if we want to be promoted and be in one of those three spots, no doubt about it.

‘Everything has gone so well so far and it’s a little bit testing at the minute, but you are always going to have setbacks.’

Surprisingly, Pompey’s league away record has been more impressive than their home form during the opening month to the season.

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Victories at Plymouth and Luton have underpinned their climb to fifth.

But Doyle is demanding more from the Blues.

He added: It’s up to us. You work all week on what you want to do and then go out on the Saturday and when the plan doesn’t come off it’s disappointing.

‘As players we need to work harder, you want to bring it out on a Saturday and we didn’t do that against Morecambe.

‘It all went really well at the start and at the minute we are going through a little difficult patch.

‘We expect so much more from ourselves, especially the way we have played this year, and Saturday was a flat day.’