Kenny Jackett delighted as Portsmouth maintain record-breaking run

Posted Sunday, February 09, 2020 by PA

Kenny Jackett is urging his Portsmouth squad to savour their record-breaking run after a 2-0 victory at Tranmere.

Pompey have now won nine games in a row in all competitions for the first time since being accepted into the Football League a century ago.

Goals from Sean Raggett and Ryan Williams sealed the points that leaves them just six points off top spot in League One.

“The players should be very proud,” said Jackett. “I’m delighted. It gives us a really good chance in all competitions and a lot to play for. There’s still just over a third of the season left.

“Obviously we want to recover well, avoid injuries, try to keep in a good rhythm and rise to the challenge in the last third of the season. This run has given us the opportunity to do that.”

The visitors did not have things all their own way at Prenton Park, though, with Jackett accepting Tranmere made life difficult for them.

Raggett headed his side into a 13th-minute lead after being left alone in the box to nod home Ronan Curtis’ free-kick.

But goalkeeper Alex Bass then had to make a pair of fine saves to deny Andy Cook from close range.

The hosts arguably shaded the opening 45 minutes, but Williams fired into the bottom corner straight after half-time to put the game out of sight.

“It was going to be a really hard game here,” Jackett continued, “I felt their influx of players would make it difficult and it was.

“We had to be really at our best defensively. The most pleasing aspects was the goals and that we had clear chances to score more, which is good.

“Overall, it was a harder game than it perhaps looked from the outside and we did well to overcome it.”

Tranmere on the other hand are in all kinds of trouble at the other end of the division. They are now without a win in nine league games – failing to score in the last four of those.

But manager Micky Mellon was more concerned by his side’s defending and was fuming at how conceding two poor goals cost them dearly.

“We defended, again, poorly,” he said. “You don’t give yourself a chance if you give away goals like that.

“I’ll use Portsmouth as an example; how well did they defend?

“I think there were a lot of lads who gave good performances, but to lose goals like that when we did, would be tough for anybody to get over.

“They’re soft goals, incredibly soft. That’s not something that we’ve all of a sudden started to do. It’s been all season.”