Our best win of the season – Danny Cowley delighted with Portsmouth display
Posted Sunday, December 12, 2021 by PA
Danny Cowley hailed injury-hit Portsmouth’s 2-0 win at home to Morecambe as their best victory of the season.
Goals from Marcus Harness and Connor Ogilvie – his first for the club – extended the south coast side’s unbeaten league run to eight matches.
Cowley said: “For me, it was our best win of the season.
“We’ve played three games in eight days, albeit at home, and have struggled with sickness and injuries.
“I’ve had to field the same starting XI because of it.
“You have Sean Williams at 35 years of age playing 270 minutes straight, and 19-year-old Miguel Azeez playing a three-game week for the first time.
“I think we lost some energy in the second half because of it, but we showed a strong mental side to our game and held on well.
“Gavin Bazunu pulled off an exceptional save in the second half. That’s now our 10th clean sheet of the season.
“We’re hopeful of having a few back next week for training. It will be nice to have more than 14 players available.”
Pompey were in control from the start, with Ronan Curtis shooting over twice in the first 10 minutes.
The home side took the lead in the 11th minute when Harness rifled into the roof of the net from six yards following a goalmouth scramble.
Cole Stockton was the only Morecambe player to trouble Pompey goalkeeper Bazunu in the opening 45 minutes with a cross-cum-shot which the Irishman gathered at the second attempt.
Early second-half pressure from Morecambe gained no reward, despite efforts from Stockton and Adam Phillips, who had a shot superbly pushed onto a post by Bazunu.
Pompey scored the decisive goal in the 77th minute, when an Azeez corner was headed home by Ogilvie for his first of the season.
Morecambe boss Stephen Robinson said: “We’ve come here and dominated large parts of the game.
“The atmosphere and the crowd, as well as Pompey being a top team, wasn’t going to make things easy.
“We came here on the back of a 5-0 defeat, but we did well, and it’s difficult to criticise the players.
“It was arguably individual mistakes that cost us, and at 1-0 down we were right in the game.
“The crowd were starting to turn. We’ve got possession and creating chances and putting balls in the box.
“I know if we play like that in the next few games, we will pick up points.”
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