Gaffer: This was make or break for Portsmouth - what happened against Preston was written in the stars

How crucial was that?

Preston was a bit of a last chance saloon for Pompey. I felt it was probably a make-or-break game and it was important we got on the right side of a result.

That’s how you get out of trouble. If you are at the bottom fighting for your lives and can actually get on the right side of tight results, then that’s your cornerstone to survival.

Certainly before the game there was palpable concern from all areas of the Pompey fanbase, even the most positive of the fans, about how the season was going.

But I’ve had a belief that this group is actually good enough. The quality is there, on Saturday we saw that, and I have never wavered from the belief that this is a good enough group when everyone is fit and firing.

How do you think Pompey performed?

The opening 45 minutes was pure unadulterated Pompey, we did really well. The second 45 less so.

Teams come to Fratton Park and have a 10-15 minute spell, usually after the break, where they come into the game.

Whereas we normally completely go under in that period and the positivity and self-belief completely evaporate, it was actually the opposite on Saturday.

The crowd stuck with them, we stepped up to the mark and thoroughly, thoroughly deserved to win. It was spirited, a heartening performance.

Colby Bishop - what a story.

We all love football, but family and health come first. Colby’s story has struck an emotional chord with Pompey fans all over the world, and the way he led the rest of the players on the full-time celebrations around the pitch was really lovely.

The reception from the fans for Colby when he came on was spectacular and it was really nice for Callum Lang to give him the ball for the penalty. People say it was written in the stars - and it was.

Who stood out for you?

I am torn between Terry Devlin and Matt Ritchie and, as I can’t give it to them both, I will go to Devlin, who was amazing.

But a massive shout to Ritchie, he has absolutely come into his own in the last couple of weeks and turned into the player everybody hoped he would be when he arrived. He hasn’t blown me away, because we knew he had it in the locker, but he has done really, really well.

Considering Devlin isn’t a right-back, it looks like his best position in a Pompey shirt. He has performed so well there recently that he has to be up there as one of our best in that role at the club.

He has been out in the cold, not massively involved in a number of the squads, and has come in a bit like Christian Saydee last season, being asked to adapt to the circumstances.

Nicolas Schmid - 8

Terry Devlin - 9

Regan Poole - 8

Marlon Pack - 8

Connor Ogilvie - 8

Andre Dozzell - 8

Freddie Potts - 8

Matt Ritchie - 9

Callum Lang - 8

Josh Murphy - 8

Kusini Yengi - 7