Leicester City's ex-Rotherham United and Sheffield Wednesday striker sends clear message to doubters over leading line for Portsmouth

The striker played a key role in the four-goal second-half salvo which buried Doncaster Rovers, and delivered back-to-back league wins for the first time since November for the Blues.

The on-loan Leicester City striker delivered the killer second goal in the 63rd minute, before two late finishes put a flourish on a devastating 45-minute display.

Hirst’s effort arrived after he missed a gilt-edged chance to open the scoring two minutes after the restart, failing to connect on Reeco Hackett’s cross from close range.

The 22-year-old’s had his critics in his young career to date, but after grabbing his fifth goal of the season - with all arriving since November - Hirst feels he’s showing the mental toughness needed to lead the line for Pompey.

Hirst said: ‘I’m going to keep getting in there.

‘I will miss chances because that’s the nature of the game.

‘Fans don’t want to see that, but I’m not naive enough to stand here and say I’m going to score every chance I get.

‘I will miss chances but, like the gaffer says, keep getting in there, the chances will come and you will score more goals.

‘I missed a couple and one at the start of the second half, but it’s just about the need to keep going.

‘I dropped on that one after, went through and ended up scoring.

‘So I was delighted to get the goal and to get one in a win always makes it sweeter.

‘Everyone has their own little resets after a miss and I have mine.

‘I know what it is, it’s a little mental thing to say to yourself “that’s gone”.

‘You can’t do it again, you can’t go back and play that moment again. That’s how it is, so you can’t focus on it.

‘If you let things like that get you down you’re in the wrong sport and in the wrong position.

‘I’m a striker so I keep getting in there, keep doing my job and getting in there for the team.

‘Hopefully then the rewards will come for me.’

Hirst’s goal arrived as he seized upon a mistake by Ben Jackson to advance and fire past Jonathan Mitchell.

It looked as if the opportunity may have passed the former Rotherham by after what appeared to be a heavy first touch, but Hirst smiled it was all part of the plan.

He added: ‘The goal was probably the more fortunate of the lot the way it came about.

‘Some would say the touch was heavy, some would say I was drawing the keeper out.

‘It depends who’s on my side and who’s not - so I say I was drawing him out!

‘It doesn’t really matter how it came about, what does matter was it ended up in the back of the net.

‘It went in the back of the net so it was as good as it gets!’

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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