Wayne Rooney was only interested in a win after Plymouth beat Portsmouth

Posted Wednesday, November 06, 2024 by PA

Wayne Rooney felt the result was all that mattered as Plymouth ended a four-match winless run in the Championship with a 1-0 victory over bottom-placed Portsmouth.

The win, courtesy of substitute Michael Obafemi’s 82nd-minute strike, lifted Argyle up to 20th, leaving Pompey five points from safety.

Rooney said: “It’s important to get the win, coming off the last four games, we had to do something to stop that run of results.

“I am delighted with three points. I wasn’t looking for a performance, it was about the win. It wasn’t the prettiest of games but it was the result that mattered.

“We didn’t create many chances tonight. I was really pleased with the subs especially Michael, because he came on and got the goal.

“It was very important to keep our first clean sheet of the season. We have had to dig in at times. Portsmouth are an aggressive team and go man to man.

“I was really pleased with Matty Sorinola and Julio Pleguezuelo, who have come in to play two games in four days after not being in the team, and Andre Gray had to battle with the centre-backs and he did that well.

“Obviously the decisions I made with regards to the team at Leeds would only be justified if we won tonight.

“In Dan Grimshaw, we know we have got a really good keeper and I have felt for him. It’s great for a clean sheet and he got an assist as well, which was the first thing he reminded me after the game!

“Tonight was important that we got the three points by any means possible. If we can fix our away form we can put ourselves in a really good place.”

Portsmouth head coach John Mousinho felt missed chances cost his side.

He said: “Pretty simply we didn’t put the ball in the back of the net when we had the chances and we didn’t create better opportunities when we broke.

“I still think we created enough to win the game. There were probably three moments in the second half where the only times when Plymouth had any chances.

“One when we lose a tackle in the right-back area, the other one where Tom McIntyre dwells on the ball and he (Plymouth player) ends up being offside, so it’s not a chance, and the other which is the goal.

“We don’t deal with the long ball and it ends up being in the back of the net. It was really disappointing because I don’t think we deserved it.

“It’s a weird one because the performances we have had midweek away from home have been so far away from what we need to produce and that’s been a real head scratcher and you look at the results and think fair enough.

“This one is the reverse almost because we played so well off the back of a real good performance at Hull. We have not put the ball in the back of the net, not kept the ball out of the back of the net so yes it’s been really frustrating.”