Kenny Jackett explains the Portsmouth formation switch which nearly backfired against MK Dons

But he confessed the visitors made it hard for the Blues to impose themselves during the clash at Fratton Park.

Pompey ran our 2-1 winners thanks to Tom Naylor (2) and Ellis Harrison (23, penalty) efforts either side of Scott Fraser’s 12th-minute spot-kick.

Those goals ensured the hosts went into the break a goal up.

SEE ALSO: Neil Allen's match ratings from 2-1 victory against MK Dons

However, to counter the threat posed by Russell Martin’s side, the manager chose to bring on centre-back Rasmus Nicolaisen for right-winger Ronan Curtis at half-time and change his formation from a 4-4-2 system to a 3-5-2.

Jackett hoped the move would see them boss the game more, with the Dons enjoying 66-per-cent possession in the first 45 minutes.

Yet the decision nearly backfired on the Blues as the visitors dominated the second half, so much so that their possession stats increased to 71-per-cent at the final whistle.

MK Dons will feel aggrieved they failed to make their dominance count – especially after the break.

As for Jackett, he was disappointed his side couldn’t inflict more of their own damage.

Explaining the formation change, the manager said: ‘We did feel we wanted to get another centre-half in there in Rasmus and see if we could just maybe go in and impose ourselves, defend if we needed to as well - and that was the case.

‘It wasn’t the intention necessarily to just sit in.

‘We did try to attack more but it was tough for us at 2-1 up to really impose ourselves on it.

‘When we got our noses in front, I was really pleased with the start again.

‘We got our goal early, which is terrific, and then got ourselves 2-1 up.

‘Unfortunately from then it was a defensive performance.

‘We would have liked to have gone on an scored more goals but unfortunately that wasn't the case.’A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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