Gaffer: Great Portsmouth togetherness at Tranmere on the worst pitch I have ever seen

A record-breaking Pompey win then.

I think about a month go we would have drawn or lost that match, but we went there and did a job.

Tranmere are a big, strong team, with Andy Cook a lump up front who gave our defence a tough time. They probably posed more of a threat than Sunderland.

Defensively we had to be at our best at times and I was really impressed with us, we dealt with them well.

There is a team togetherness and it was another three points on the way to what hopefully is promotion.

What did you make of Tranmere’s pitch?

It was terrible, from our vantage point the left-hand side was mainly sand, while there wasn’t any grass everywhere else.

Ronan Curtis tried to move forward with the ball a few times but couldn’t as it slowed right down on the playing surface!

That is the worst pitch I have ever seen – and I remember us being smashed to pieces at Newport County in the Johnstone’s Paint Trophy in November 2013.

How did it get that bad? It meant the match wasn’t great viewing, but we won, which is the most important thing.

Who was your man of the match?

Tom Naylor won everything, he is immense at what he does, on a different level to everyone else in matches like that.

He sticks his foot out, wins everything, and got better and better as the game went on, comfortably my man of the match.

A few people ask me what I see in Naylor, but my response is ‘What can’t you see in him?’. He makes everything tick, without him in the middle at Accrington we were terrible.

He has to be one of Kenny’s best signings, he’s got the best out of him and is definitely an important player.

Sean Raggett for England?

I heard the chants, but didn't join in myself. At times I’m so nervous and engrossed in the game that I lose what is going on around me!

It was tongue in cheek and I hope some people don’t take that song the wrong way, it’s just recognition of how much he has improved – and he’s getting better all the time.

After Accrington I didn’t want him to play for us ever again, and he had a mare at MK Dons, but rediscovered his form and is now really good.

Raggett’s performing well and is possibly becoming a cult figure.

Alex Bass 7

James Bolton 7

Christian Burgess 8

Sean Raggett 8

Steve Seddon 9

Ben Close 7

Tom Naylor 9

Ryan Williams 8

Cameron McGeehan 7

Ronan Curtis 7

Ellis Harrison 8