Unlikely Portsmouth hero hails 'huge' win as Peterborough triumph edges Blues closer to Championship

Gavin Whyte toasted a match-winning Pompey impact as he emerged as an unlikely hero at Peterborough.

Kusini Yengi will deservedly take the credit for his 77th-minute strike which now puts the Blues nine points clear in the automatic promotion spots.

Yet it was fellow substitute Whyte, on for the ineffective Myles Peart-Harris, who carved out the crucial moment, featuring twice in the build-up to the goal which yielded the 1-0 triumph.

It’s been a tough campaign for the Northern Irishman, yet he has now played a pivotal role in a pivotal win for the unstoppable League One leaders.

Whyte told The News: ‘I probably haven’t played as many matches as I would have liked, but it’s a team game, we are all going for the same goal.

‘I felt like I did well - and also the other night when I came on - and I’m just trying to do the best I can for the team.

‘The gaffer told me to affect the game, to get into the number 10 role, try to create space and to do what I can do, being positive.

‘I played a one-two with Colby, got ahead of the defender, then saw Kas in some space and managed to pick him out nicely. He then did what he does one-v-one, he’s hard to stop.

‘It was a tough game, Peterborough hit the bar in the first half, if that goes in it changes everything, but we dug in deep and got the rewards for it.

‘We had to change our team earlier when we found out there was an illness (Paddy Lane and Joe Rafferty), and it was tough - but we got a huge win we really deserved.’

With seven matches remaining, Pompey are five points ahead of second-placed Derby - and now nine points clear of third-placed Bolton.

As for Whyte, Peterborough represented only his third squad involvement in Pompey’s last 10 matches.

However, his London Road contribution has seen the Blues take a huge step closer to the Championship.

He added: ‘My time here hasn’t been what I would have hoped or what I would have liked.

‘But I’ve just got to keep working hard in training and to take my chance when hopefully it comes again.’