Portsmouth boss' reassuring message to 'brilliant' winger after dip in goal form

John Mousinho has reassured Paddy Lane he remains delighted with the winger’s Pompey displays - despite a recent lack of goal involvement.

The Northern Ireland international hasn’t netted in six matches for the League One leaders, while his creative form has also noticeably dipped since that February high.

Regardless, it has been an exceptional season for the 23-year-old, who has established himself as a pivotal performer, with a career-best 11 goals so far.

Certainly Mousinho acknowledges Lane’s output has declined of late, but believes the ex-Fleetwood man should be judged on more than goals and assists.

And he remains impressed by the youngster’s ‘effectiveness’ as a team player as the Blues drive towards the Championship.

Pompey’s head coach told The News: ‘In terms of the output, we haven't seen the goals from Paddy we previously saw in the season.

‘I actually spoke to Paddy on Wednesday about not worrying about it. I know he wants to get goals and assists, but he has been so effective in recent games. His work-rate and the fact he picks up positions which are really difficult to mark adds to how the team performs.

‘The Wycombe game is a really good example of what he brings. You wouldn’t have really seen him getting into too many goal-scoring positions or on the ball too much, but I thought he really affected the game.

‘I said to Rich (Hughes) at the time that Paddy was being really, really effective because he was occupying that left-sided 10 space. Wycombe tried to lock off Christian (Saydee) and Paddy and it just opened up space everywhere else.

‘Against Derby, he was man-marked out of the game, which opened up a huge amount of space down the left-hand side. When I point out to the boys that if the opposition is locking one side and doubling up on players like Paddy and Abu, shift the ball quickly and something will open up.

‘Paddy’s work-rate is brilliant, he works so hard day in, day out, he never lets you down. The fact is 11 goals this season has been outstanding.

‘He works for the team, that’s what we want from all our players, Abs on the other side as well. Our wingers track and press from the front, that’s a staple of the team this year. We need 11 players to work their socks off.’

Lane was handed a rare Northern Ireland start during last month’s international break, facing Romania.

He featured for 62 minutes in the friendly, representing his fourth cap, although was an unused substitute against Scotland four days later.

And Mousinho believes that added commitment has also affected the youngster since returning to Fratton Park.

He added: ‘I thought Paddy probably tired a bit against Derby, that’s why we brought him off.

‘Having been away with Northern Ireland as well, he’s not had the rest and recuperation the boys here have had. That’s also one of the things which is a factor.

‘It has been a part of Kusini (Yengi) coming back in and not quite being at full tilt. He’s had all the travel and two starts for Australia, whereas everybody here had four days off and some nice training sessions. You have to be wary of those things.’