‘Carnage’: Portsmouth’s clean sheet merchant ready for Peterborough United return after Sheffield Wednesday play-off horror

Will Norris is ready for a Peterborough return after enduring play-off ‘carnage’ at his old side.

And Pompey’s standout keeper underlined how he’s focussed on seeing his side’s promotion charge through to a successful conclusion, to bury the ghost of last season’s Posh pain.

Norris goes back to the side he spent the second half of last term on loan with, looking to extend an excellent run of 17 clean sheets which has helped give the Blues a five-point lead at the top of League One.

That’s a far cry from the unprecedented scenes at the end of the 2022-23 campaign, as Darren Ferguson’s side incredibly surrendered a 4-0 first leg lead to crash out of the play-offs against Sheffield Wednesday.

That saw a four-goal deficit bridged for the first time in the end-of-season shootout on Norris’ final game with the club.

The 30-year-old admitted he’s pleased to see Peterborough bounce back from that pain, as they push for a Championship return.

He said: ‘I spent six months there and it will be a tough place to go.

‘They have good players going forward, are dynamic and can play.

‘They play good football and are an organised team, so it’s going to be a big challenge.

‘It’s a tough one because we got ourselves in a great position in the play-offs at the back end of the season.

‘Then the play-offs were what they were. It was carnage over the last few days and it should’ve been a bit longer, but unfortunately it wasn’t to be.

‘I keep in contact with a few lads down there and it’s a good group and a hard-working group. 

‘They have Ricky (Jones) up top, who’s played well and (Kwame) Poku and (Ephron) Mason Clark can chip in with goals and assists.

‘The manager has done a good job of getting them organised and doing well. They deserve every bit of what they are achieving this season.’

Pompey are now eight games away from the finish line with the prize of a Championship place in their sights.

Finishing the job would complete a mission for Norris, which would heal the pain of what took place at the end of last season.

He added: ‘I came here for one reason - and that was to get out of the league.

‘The fans have been stuck here long enough, so that’s why we’re looking to go up.

‘It’s the business end of the season and there’s eight games to go, which will define our season.

‘We need to put in eight big performances and it’s all in our hands eight games to go.

‘That’s exactly where we want to be so we need to embrace it, enjoy the challenge and do the business.’