This is Portsmouth boss' response to beating Hull and going top of League One without having a shot on target

Pompey boss Kenny Jackett (Photo by Daniel Chesterton/phcimages.com)Pompey boss Kenny Jackett (Photo by Daniel Chesterton/phcimages.com)
Pompey boss Kenny Jackett (Photo by Daniel Chesterton/phcimages.com)
Kenny Jackett dismissed the stats as Pompey went top of League One without having a shot on target.

And the Blues boss underlined he feels his men are attacking with more quality this season in the wake of their impressive 2-0 win at Hull City.

The victory came at the KCOM Stadium with Jackett’s men registering a bizarre and quirky statistic, in that they did so without registering a shot on target.

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Both goals came with a Hull player providing the final touch as Jacob Greaves headed a Cam Pring corner into his own net, before Josh Magennis did likewise from Ronan Curtis’ corner 10 minutes after the restart.

Whoever got the final touch, it once again showed Pompey’s effectiveness from set-pieces as they delivered a consummate and confident away display.

And Jackett felt the performance highlighted how his team are now attacking with more quality and making better decisions in the final third.

The Blues manager feels that is a more significant area to focus on over statistics which may prove misleading.

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He said: ‘It’s only in the media that they’re obsessed with stats.

‘You can have a load of shots on target.

‘If they’re from 35 yards out and the keeper’s dropping his cap on it then it doesn’t necessarily count for a lot.

‘A lot of coaching now is when you get into the final third trying to work a better chance and a better angle.’

‘It’s touches in the opposition box that I feel is a big one.

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‘I think we’re working our way into better positions with a bit more control.

‘That’s not just tonight but all the way through the season.

‘It’s getting a balance of the two.’

Pompey’s win at Hull saw them pick up their fifth successive clean sheet as they went to the top of the League One tree for the first time in 23 months.

The challenge is to now remain there after they failed to hold on to top spot in the 2018-19 season after setting the early pace.

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The manner in which the Blues exerted such control on the top-of-the-table clash offered cause for optimism on that front.

Jackett felt the performance showcased the professionalism of his men as they build on one of the rest away records in League One.

He said: ‘They hit the bar in a crucial moment, but apart from that I don’t think they created many if any clearcut chances.

‘There maybe weren’t that many at either end, but we got the ones which mattered with good delivery and presence in the box and runs at the right time.

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‘They are a very good side so it’s an excellent result for ourselves.’

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