Pompey 2 Colchester 0: Gaffer For A Day

It wasn’t the best game, it was a bit boring, but the win was vitally important.

To have been four matches into the season without victory and facing a tricky trip to Exeter next would have been a bit too much.

It was again looking like 0-0, we had no end product, Carl Baker and Kyle Bennett had poor games and Curtis Main seems a bit average.

Then we went two up front following the introduction of Conor Chaplin and Noel Hunt and used a diamond.

Cook acknowledged the 4-2-3-1 wasn’t working so changed it – and credit to him for that.

Who was your star man?

It has to be Gary Roberts, who changed the game with one moment of quality when no-one was doing a lot.

It was a definite penalty, I was sat in the North stand right in line and their player came across him and wiped him out.

Roberts is our best player creatively and also showed his quality with an assist in the first game. You don’t drop players like him after a few bad matches.

No-one else had that spark in them on Saturday.

David Forde also deserves a mention, I don’t think Paul Jones and Brian Murphy would have made those late saves.

What about Chaplin’s impact from the bench?

It was a quality ball for the second goal and a really good finish from Roberts, although the keeper should have come out.

Conor is an extremely-talented youngster who has to be used carefully, you don’t want him burning out like Ashley Harris.

He should be handed more starts but there is no use playing him up front on his own every game at his age.

Before he came on against Colchester the crowd were starting to turn a little bit and sometimes you can make a substitute to get them back on side.

So would you now stick with the diamond formation?

I would look at it for home games, but keep the 4-2-3-1 on our travels.

The vocal minority were calling for a system change without knowing what the system would be.

I didn’t hear too many wanting a diamond.

Pompey player ratings:

David Forde 8

Drew Talbot 7

Christian Burgess 7

Adam Barton 7

Enda Stevens 7

Michael Doyle 7

Danny Rose 6

Carl Baker 6

Gary Roberts 8

Kyle Bennett 6

Curtis Main 6