Doyle: Pompey need to show how much we want this

MICHAEL DOYLE spoke of what promotion means to Pompey as he demanded they disappoint Colchester.
Michael Doyle celebrates Pompey's win against Crawley with the Blues supporters Picture: Joe PeplerMichael Doyle celebrates Pompey's win against Crawley with the Blues supporters Picture: Joe Pepler
Michael Doyle celebrates Pompey's win against Crawley with the Blues supporters Picture: Joe Pepler

The Blues bid to protect their place in the top three tomorrow as they go to the play-off-chasing U’s tomorrow.

Victory at Crawley on Tuesday night saw Paul Cook’s side return there for the first time since September with a 2-0 win.

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Doyle believes the Red Devils tried to take advantage of the pressure on his side after last weekend’s disappointing loss to Crewe.

Pompey had other things in mind, however, and refused to roll over at the Broadfield Stadium.

The focus was on what this means to the players before the game – and Doyle believes that has to be the case again this weekend.

He said: ‘We talked before the game on Tuesday about how much this means to us.

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‘We want it – and we showed it, but we need to go again at Colchester now.

‘We need to be at it every game. We can’t pick and choose games. That’s where we need to get that consistency.

‘We took control early and they dropped off us because we were getting through them.

‘It was a long night for them. We disappointed them. That’s what we have to do now.

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‘They set up positively, saw we’re under pressure and tried to take our scalp.

‘They tried to have a go, but we stood up to it. We had to work hard to break them down and there was a lot of them behind the ball.

‘We were patient and, like Carlisle, we started strong and finished strong.

‘It was a good result but now it’s about Colchester.’

With 11 games to go the ambitions Doyle underlined remain the same as they have all season.

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He added: ‘Seasons are so long. We came back in pre-season with all the intentions of getting promoted.

‘We haven’t shied away from that through all the disappointments.

‘We always believed and never ducked away from that. That’s the aim.

‘We’ve brought the pressure and criticism on ourselves.

‘The silver lining after Saturday’s defeat was if won at Crawley we went third.

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‘We could be in a better position but the past is the past now.

‘We’ve got ourselves here so let’s go again now against Colchester.’

Pompey go to the Weston Homes Community Stadium looking for their 17th clean sheet of an impressive defensive campaign. It’s the elusive consistency they are now hunting for.

Doyle said: ‘You look at the clean-sheet record. It’s outstanding. We just need a little bit more as a team now.

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‘We could have lost Tuesday after missing that penalty. We could’ve thought it’s not our night.

‘We’ve lost one game in seven, but with the draws it doesn’t look as good.

‘If we were to win five out of six you’d love it. But it’s one game as it comes now.

‘It’s rest, recovery and go again.

‘We need another performance like Crawley at Colchester.

‘We’ll have a massive following again. On we go.’