Portsmouth boss' 'worst' admission - despite five straight wins for League One leaders

The Blues ran out 2-0 winners over Port Vale, with Colby Bishop netting twice in five minutes.

Both goals arrived in a much-improved second-half showing following an opening 45 minutes which the head coach considers one of the ‘worst’ for a long time.

Indeed, the visitors struck the post and should have gone in at the break with a comfortable lead rather than the goalless draw it was.

And thankfully Pompey rallied after the break to cement their place at the top of League One.

He told The News: ‘It was a tricky game to navigate for us and I was really disappointed with that first half.

‘That was probably the worst we have played in the first half for a long time, but we had more urgency and aggression in the second half. It was chalk and cheese.

‘I make a distinction between when we go in at half-time a goal down, like the other night against Wycombe, but we had performed pretty well, so I didn’t have a problem with that.

‘Whereas against Port Vale, at 0-0 it was no damage done, but I had an issue with the way we were playing, the players knew it, they didn't feel they were playing to their full potential.

‘We weren’t great in the first half and a lot of that was down to Port Vale and how well they played and how difficult they made it for us – but there were still quite a few things we could have done better.

‘We didn’t move the ball quickly enough, we got caught in-between playing and going a bit longer, and Port Vale caused us a couple of problems, particularly down their right-hand side.

‘We had to re-group at half-time and I’m really thrilled we came out as strongly as we did. Then, after we scored the goal, to go again.’

The Blues headed into the match with the knowledge Oxford United had beaten Bristol Rovers 2-1 earlier in the day.

That meant Fratton Park victory was required to regain top spot – which Mousinho’s men eventually managed to achieve.

He added: ‘The highs of Tuesday night just made it difficult to come back down on Saturday.

‘We had a completely different proposition in a well-organised Port Vale and sometimes you just have to wait and be patient in this game.’