Signs point to Portsmouth turning around our season - Ronan Curtis

Ronan Curtis shrugged off Pompey’s latest away-day agony and insisted: The signs point to us turning around our season.
Ronan Curtis celebrates with John Marquis after their combination put Pompey 2-0 up at Bristol Rovers. Picture: Graham Hunt/ProSportsImagesRonan Curtis celebrates with John Marquis after their combination put Pompey 2-0 up at Bristol Rovers. Picture: Graham Hunt/ProSportsImages
Ronan Curtis celebrates with John Marquis after their combination put Pompey 2-0 up at Bristol Rovers. Picture: Graham Hunt/ProSportsImages

For successive Saturdays, Kenny Jackett’s side have conceded a stoppage-time goal away from Fratton Park.

Last weekend, AFC Wimbledon snatched a last-gasp 1-0 victory at Kingsmeadow.

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This time around it was a Bristol Rovers leveller three minutes into time added on to snatch an ill-deserved 2-2 draw.

That’s three points dropped from consecutive fixtures on the road for Pompey, who have endured a bitterly disappointing start to the campaign.

And on Saturday, the hammer blow was delivered after Jackett’s men had deservedly led 2-0 with 12 minutes to go at the Memorial Stadium.

Goalscorer Curtis said: ‘We had a sticky spell at the start of the season, but there’s still ages and ages to go.

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‘I think this is the turning point for us and we will turn it around.

‘Saturday was just heartbreaking, you do so much work leading up to the match, you come into game day and battle – then they score an equaliser which is not even their goal, it’s an own goal.

‘It's hard to take and Ross (McCrorie) is a bit disheartened, but that’s football, that’s what happens, you go through these spells.

‘We are still trying to get to grips with things, but I think we’re doing all right, it’s just that results haven't been going our way lately.

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‘There is a togetherness, we are working our socks off and creating chances for each other, and there are positives. With confidence we will see good results.

‘There are good signs, everyone is positive, everyone is working hard for each other and for the team. It looks good.’

Pompey would have risen into 14th place if they had held onto a 2-1 win at the Memorial Stadium.

Instead they remain in 16th, eight points adrift of the last play-off place – Coventry – with two matches in hand.

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Jackett’s men have five out of their next six League One fixtures at Fratton Park, a venue where they are yet to lose in the league this season.

Curtis’ eyes are fixed on clambering up the table during the next few weeks.

And he is adamant Saturday’s 2-2 draw was unjust.

The Irishman added: ‘People not there on Saturday will probably look at it and think we got battered.

‘But we battered them the whole game more or less, apart from the last 10-15 minutes when they came into it through two set-pieces.

‘We have to keep our confidence and take the positives from that game.’

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