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Sickening Rotherham winner

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Losing on Saturday was bad enough, the fact this was an added time winner more so. The cherry on the cake was the fact Rotherham’s goal came from ex-Pompey full back Joe Mattock.

In fairness Rotherham did have the better of the chances – Kal Naismith and Brett Pitman failing to take them for Pompey – and finally got the winner on 91 minutes as former Blues forward Michael Smith set up Mattock, a player we previously had on loan.

Kenny Jackett admitted his former side had put us under pressure in the second half, after Pompey had the better of the first, but it was a ‘sickening’ blow to buckle at the last.

‘It is sickening (to concede like that). An injury-time winner, which has turned it for them in a second half where they’ve put us under pressure early on and we rode the storm well and defended very well,’ Jackett was quoted post-match by the News.

Adding: ‘First period we had the better chances and didn’t take them and it brought the pressure on. A 91st-minute goal to win the game, where it’s been our goal-kick, we’ve kicked it out – a series of events then right through to a far post header from four yards out that has got the points.’

He wasn’t ruing this to ‘a lack of luck’ as he knows you make your own in this game but it didn’t make it any the less ‘frustrating and disappointing’ but it proved we perhaps lack ‘enough experience.’

It’s been a far from ideal start to the New Year, but what can we do? There’s still plenty of games to play, of course points to play for, but a run of consistency is again needed if we’re to push back into the top-six again, which we’ve lost touch with in recent weeks.

PLAY UP POMPEY

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