Gaffer: Rotherham was smiles better - Portsmouth are definitely progressing

Gaffer for a Day, Wayne Harris, aged 42 from Fareham, looks ahead to Pompey’s FA Cup clash with Altrincham...
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Tuesday night is the first time I’ve left Fratton Park with a smile on my face this season.

There have been other home league wins, such as against Tranmere, Bolton, Lincoln and Southend, but afterwards I was actually happy. It was a great game and our best home performance of the season.

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Ryan Williams probably ran about 20 miles, he and John Marquis have a great work-rate, and that is an aspect about the whole team which has changed for the better in the last two or three games.

Gaffer for a Day, Wayne Harris, has been impressed with Ryan Williams' work-rate this season. Picture: Joe PeplerGaffer for a Day, Wayne Harris, has been impressed with Ryan Williams' work-rate this season. Picture: Joe Pepler
Gaffer for a Day, Wayne Harris, has been impressed with Ryan Williams' work-rate this season. Picture: Joe Pepler

Generally, the performances have been very negative, we’ve not been attacking teams and losing the lead late on. Late goals have been a major problem, we would have been in third place otherwise.

Dare I say it, we are moving in the right direction now, the team at the moment are gelling very well with four straight wins.

The League One games coming up between now and the New Year will probably determine where we are next season, it’s a tough group of matches.

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Firstly we have Altrincham in the FA Cup and many of us are expecting a comfortable win, rightly so.

We should be unchanged for the match, certainly Kenny Jackett has played strong teams in the FA Cup in the past and we must keep the momentum going.

If we are two or three up in the opening 10 minutes of the second half, perhaps Andy Cannon can be handed a run out and we rest a few ahead of the Peterborough game.

Finally, I prefer Oli Hawkins at the back than up front – and it seems Kenny does as well.

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He is calm on the ball, distribution is very good, he helps defend set-pieces and him at centre-half is the right decision for us at the moment.

Pompey (4-2-3-1): MacGillivray, Haunstrup, Hawkins, Burgess, Brown, Close, Walkes, Williams, Marquis, Curtis, Harrison.

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