Tranmere 0-2 Portsmouth: what was said at the final whistle at Prenton Park

Pompey secured a club-record ninth win in a row as they beat Tranmere Rovers 2-0 at Prenton Park.
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Goals either side of half-time from Sean Raggett and Ryan Williams handed the Blues the victory, which sees them move up to fifth in the League One table.

Here’s what those closest to the action had to say about the result…

Kenny Jackett

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It’s a terrific effort by the players in all three competitions.

The league is obviously the most important one, but you stay in those competitions and want to win and compete, so to get the club record is great.

It gives us a chance now to look forward. In terms of games, we have just over a third of the season left in a short space of time and that club record – those amount of wins on the trot – gives us a good finale now.

It’s something we should look forward to and enjoy the challenge because it’s a big challenge to keep it going.

Ellis Harrison and Cameron McGeehan at the final whistle at Prenton Park.   Picture: Daniel ChestertonEllis Harrison and Cameron McGeehan at the final whistle at Prenton Park.   Picture: Daniel Chesterton
Ellis Harrison and Cameron McGeehan at the final whistle at Prenton Park. Picture: Daniel Chesterton
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We don’t particularly talk about records, I will obviously be very pleased with that particular record and the chance that it gives us.

What it promotes is a big finish to the season now and we should be excited by that challenge but realise it’s going to be a hard one as well.

Micky Mellon

We defended poorly again, we don’t give ourselves a chance if we give away goals like that.

There were a lot of lads who gave good performances but to lose goals like that when we did at the stages of the game that it was in would be tough for anybody.

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They are incredibly soft goals and it is not something that we have suddenly started to do, it has been all season.

We do everything that we can, we work hard on it and maybe we we’re working too hard and putting too much of a focus on it, but we are working hard on it.

I think we always have to be honest and say I thought we were the better side in the first-half, I thought we were the more likely to score and to get undone like that is ridiculous.

Sean Raggett

It’s the worst pitch I’ve played on in my career.

They are where they are in the league but they’ve got some good players so we knew it would be tough.

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We managed to grind it out, got the goal in the first half and the second one put it to bed.

It was a battle and we came out on top.

Neil Allen – The News’ chief sports writer

Pompey's record-breakers made it nine-straight wins on another significant afternoon.

The 2-0 success was hard fought, Tranmere looking anything but the relegation-strugglers they are.

Still, Sean Raggett and Ryan Williams' goals, coupled with the team's excellent work-rate and defensive might saw out another three points.

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It lacked the sparkle of recent weeks, nonetheless, it's another win - and the Blues are now fifth.

Jordan Cross – Pompey writer

A record-breaking win for Pompey which once again showcased the battling qualities needed to deliver results on the road.

The Blues exhibited their set-piece threat with Sean Raggett’s headed opener arriving from a delicious Ronan Curtis delivery.

They then had to withstand pressure from a home side who performed at a much better level than their league position suggested.

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But once the killer second arrived the result was never in doubt, with a fourth league clean sheet on the spin arriving on the day the ninth win on a spin set a new mark for consecutive wins since Pompey joined the Football League a century ago.

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