Portsmouth boss confirms why key duo sat out important Blues win at Peterborough

John Mousinho has confirmed both Paddy Lane and Joe Rafferty sat out Pompey’s 1-0 win at Peterborough due to illness.

Neither were named in the starting line-up for the trip to the Weston Homes Stadium, causing concern among the Blues fan base before kick-off. Both players have been instrumental in Pompey’s pursuit of automatic promotion this term and were deemed huge losses ahead of a game that had so much riding on it.

Rafferty, who was replaced in the starting XI by Zak Swanson, was able to be named among the seven substitutes for the match which the visitors won 1-0. For Lane, though, he was sent back home to recuperate, with a reunion with his Northern Ireland international colleagues on the agenda this week following his recent recall to Michael O’Neill’s squad.

Mousinho confirmed both players would have started the game against the Posh. As a result, he was indebted to the performances of their deputies, Swanson and Jack Sparkes, as they stepped in to help the Blues retain their five-point lead at the top of the League One rankings - and hand Peterborough a crushing blow in their pursuit of a top-two finish.

Speaking briefly to BBC Radio Solent about Lane and Rafferty, Mousinho said: ‘So both (were) ill - Paddy was slightly worse than Joe so we sent Paddy home.

‘Both were in the starting line-up yesterday. Raffs was the one that there was a possibility that he would be alright, hence we put him on the bench. So for Sparksy and Swanny to come in and do as well as they did against two of the best wingers in the league, that was absolutely incredible from both.’

Pompey enjoy the luxury of a near two-week break now because of the forthcoming international break. That gives the Blues time to get some of their walking wounded or bed-bound back fit with just seven games of the season remaining.