Portsmouth 2-0 Scunthorpe: they said what at the final whistle?

Second-half goals from Omar Bogle and Jamal Lowe handed Kenny Jackett’s side victory against the Iron.

The win means the Blues are just four points behind Barnsley, who are in second, after they drew 0-0 with Doncaster Rovers on Friday night.

Here’s what those closest to the action at Fratton Park had to say about Pompey’s latest League One win.

Kenny Jackett

We persevered and had to be patient.

We were trying to do the right things in the first half but didn’t have the finish.

In the second period it was a key goal from Omar Bogle and there was nothing the keeper could do about it.

From then on we did very well and from scoring the first goal through to 95 minutes is something we’ve wanted to improve on and we did it comfortably.

That was pleasing on a day when we needed to persevere to get the points.  

Stuart McCall via scunthorpe-united.co.uk

For all their possession, we soaked it up well and then when we went a goal down, we had to open up a little bit more against a side who have a lot of attacking threat. 

It was always going to be tough coming to a side that are pushing at the top of the league. 

I think they are 27 points above us and that showed today that they are better than us, so we had to be at our best. Unfortunately, we weren’t.

They were the better side on the day and the league table does suggest that they are better than us, which is a fact, but that still didn’t mean we couldn’t have got something from here. 

We were hopeful and confident that we would, but obviously we didn’t in the end.

Gareth Evans

 It was a tough game, the conditions made it a little bit tougher with the wind, and Scunthorpe were a good side.

They took quite a lot of breaking down, but overall I thought we were the better team and thoroughly deserved the win in the end.

The lads did well in the first half, it was a case of trying to be patient and getting the opportunities.

We did get the opportunities in the first half, just didn't manage to put the ball in the back of the net, but the gaffer reiterated at half time to be patient.

There was no panicking, everybody knows what we are capable of, especially when we are going towards the Fratton end in the second half, the fans help a hell of a lot and we always believed if we got one we were going to win the game.

With the opportunities we missed in the first half – and then missed one or two in the second half – I think the fans and a couple of the players maybe thought it was going to be one of those days where the ball wasn’t going to go in.

There was relief when it went in.

Neil Allen – News’ chief sports writer

Pompey have cut down the deficit to the automatic promotion spots to four points following a second win in the week.

The Blues were comfortable throughout, yet it was just a matter of whether they would finally break down a resolute Scunthorpe defending deeper and deeper.

Once Omar Bogle did just that, Kenny Jackett's men ran out deserved winners to maintain interest in League One's second spot at the very least.

Lewis Mason – Pompey reporter

Pompey's perseverance paid off as second-half strikes from Omar Bogle and Jamal Lowe saw them past resilient Scunthorpe.

Those three points could prove crucial come the end of the season as the Blues moved to within four points of the League One automatic play-off places.

Fourth-placed Pompey were 10 points off the top-two after going down at Charlton last weekend - and gatecrashing either leaders Luton or Barnsley in second looked unlikely.

But back-to-back wins have now given Kenny Jackett's troops belief as they still remain in the automatic promotion picture.