Sam Ricketts insists Shrewbury's job will be made much harder with no Portsmouth home fans at Fratton Park

Shrewsbury boss Sam Ricketts reckons playing behind closed doors at Fratton Park could benefit Pompey.
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And the Shrews manager insisted his troops are facing one of their hardest away games of the season first up.

The Blues welcome Shrewsbury to PO4 in the League One curtain-raiser tomorrow (3pm).

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It will be a fixture played without supporters, with government guidelines preventing fans from attending Football League stadiums because of the coronavirus outbreak.

This will be the third time Pompey have played in an empty Fratton Park in the space of three months.

That's after their play-off semi-final first-leg clash with Oxford in July and Tuesday's 2-0 EFL Trophy victory against League Two Colchester.

And Ricketts feels the Blues could have the advantage when they take on the Shrews.

Shrewsbury boss Sam RickettsShrewsbury boss Sam Ricketts
Shrewsbury boss Sam Ricketts
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He believes that expectancy from fans can bring added pressure on players – something his team would have hoped to have utilised.

Ricketts said: ‘Sometimes when you go to these grounds where there is big support there is expectation on the home team.

‘So sometimes you can use that crowd to turn on them a little bit. With or without a crowd it's a tough place to go.

‘It's one of the hardest away games we'll face this season.

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‘A good side who have made the play-offs in two years running and this year you know they are going to be up there.’

Pompey made a poor start to their 2019-20 campaign – including defeat at Shrewsbury on the opening day.

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And Ricketts is sure the Blues would have been a Championship team this season had they not been slow out of the traps.

He added: ‘Last year they had a poor start, for their standards, and if they hadn't had that they would've finished in the top two.’

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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