Kenny Jackett backs John Marquis to go on scoring run for Portsmouth
Posted Wednesday, October 23, 2019 by PA
Kenny Jackett backed John Marquis to go on a scoring spree after ending his 10-match goal drought in Portsmouth’s 1-0 win at home to Lincoln.
Marquis’s scruffy 28th-minute winner was enough to settle a scrappy contest in Pompey’s favour.
It was the £2million summer signing from Doncaster’s first goal since August and Jackett said: “I was pleased for John that he got a crucial goal.
“That always does a centre-forward good. I’ve no doubt you’ll see a run of goals from him now with decent service. He’s determined to do well.
“He was terrific, worked hard and showed quality. It was a good all-round centre-forward performance. His hold-up play and touch was excellent.”
Jackett also praised the Pompey fans for standing by his side during a difficult start to the season.
He added: “The support is there if we get it right, if we don’t they let us know. But they stuck with us.
“We are not in the position we want to be. But there’s a lot of the season to go. We want to climb but only hard work will get us there.”
Lincoln, looking for just their second win in 11 games, started brightly and could have been in front after only seven minutes when Callum Connolly put a free header over the crossbar.
Imps midfielder Bruno Andrade also saw his scorching long-range shot turned behind by the diving Craig MacGillivray in the 20th minute.
MacGillivray was called into action again from the resulting corner but John Akinde twice failed to beat the Portsmouth goalkeeper from close range.
Marquis put Pompey ahead 17 minutes before half-time by bundling the ball home from a yard out after Lincoln goalkeeper Josh Vickers could only parry a Christian Burgess header.
The second half was largely uneventful as Pompey held on comfortably.
Lincoln manager Michael Appleton said: “We have been done on a set-play, which I am very disappointed about and I have made my feelings clear on that.
“But for the majority of the game it was hard to argue with the performance the players put in.
“There are disappointed players in the dressing room but we can still be largely content.
“We could have worked the goalkeeper more and need that clinical touch at the moment. That is just about confidence.
“We had a couple of chances in the first half and eventually it will fall and once we get the first goal someone will get punished.
“The first goal in any game is massive so to allow them to get the goal in the way we did is hugely frustrating.”
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