Portsmouth keeper wants perfection to silence doubters

Craig MacGillivray is out to prove the doubters wrong by delivering the perfect Pompey season.
Pompey's Craig MacGillivray. Picture: Joe PeplerPompey's Craig MacGillivray. Picture: Joe Pepler
Pompey's Craig MacGillivray. Picture: Joe Pepler

The Blues keeper is targeting an ever-present league campaign for the Blues as well as reaching a minimum 15 clean sheets for the side he joined in the summer.

MacGillivray is set to make it 30 unbroken League One outings against Doncaster at Fratton Park this weekend.

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The 26-year-old feels there has been a question mark over his longevity after making just 20 league appearances in the past two seasons in spells at Walsall and Shrewsbury.

Pompey's Craig MacGillivray. Picture: Joe PeplerPompey's Craig MacGillivray. Picture: Joe Pepler
Pompey's Craig MacGillivray. Picture: Joe Pepler

The context to that stat, however, is the No1 was behind highly-touted keepers Dean Henderson and Neil Etheridge in that time.

MacGillivray has more than justified Kenny Jackett’s decision to bring him in, as was seen once again when he made a series of stops in the mid-week promotion tussle against Luton.

But the Scot explained he is being motivated to continue his unblemished record to erase any questions over the amount of games he’s played in his career.

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MacGillivray said: ‘When you come through the door you want to prove a point.

‘Yourself you know (you’re good enough), but you need the numbers to stack up as well.

‘There are some keepers in this league who are good keepers, but they seem to concede every week.

‘The biggest question mark before I came here was can he do it for a considerable number of games?

‘So I’ve always said I want to hit 46 games.

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‘I backed myself at Shrewsbury and I backed myself at Walsall but, unfortunately, I had two good keepers in front of me.

‘Neil Etheridge is in the Premier League now, two seasons ago he was in League One. Dean is at Manchester United still.

‘Some of it’s luck but when you get your opportunity you have to take it - and that’s something I’ve waited for for a very long time.

‘I don’t intend on letting up.’

MacGillivray’s latest shut-out came in the Checkatrade Trophy win against Peterborough last week.

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That took his clean-sheet total to 12 for the season, with eight of those arriving in league action.

The former non-league player is aware that Pompey didn’t concede on 15 occasions last term, so is looking to improve on that number.

That will be one box tick on a dream list of targets which also includes his ever-present league record and performing in the Championship next term after sealing promotion for Jackett’s men.

MacGillivray added: ‘There’s the 46 and I want 15 clean sheets as a minimum.

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‘I think 15 is what was collected last season, so I want to better that.

‘That’s a little extra carrot for myself and then I want to get promoted.

‘They’re the three things - and then I want to play in the Championship next season. That’d be beautiful!

‘You have to strive for big things but stranger things have certainly happened.’