Regan Poole believes Portsmouth’s hard-fought Championship triumph against Preston demonstrates significant team development. Andre Dozzell’s deflected first-half strike secured Saturday’s crucial three points at Fratton Park.
The centre-back feels the Blues have learned from previous disappointments after securing a vital 1-0 victory over Preston North End at the weekend.
Dozzell’s deflected effort late in the opening period proved decisive in Saturday’s encounter, with the visitors creating pressure after the break but failing to genuinely threaten goalkeeper Nicolas Schmid.
Despite Portsmouth’s inability to capitalise on chances that could have made the finish more comfortable, Poole expressed satisfaction with the outcome.
“It was a tough game and probably not the greatest to watch, but it doesn’t matter because we’ve got three points on the board,” the defender explained.
“We were solid and looked strong defensively, although we should really have finished the game off earlier.
“I thought we made life harder for ourselves than it needed to be – sometimes, though, you just need to get over the line.
“There were a few times last season when we didn’t do that, so this is definitely a step in the right direction.
“It’s been a good start to the season, although there’s probably some disappointment that we’re not sitting second in the table with 10 points.”
Portsmouth FC now possess greater defensive depth following Josh Knight’s arrival, with the new signing entering as a substitute to make his debut during the weekend fixture.
“I say ‘bring it on’. We’ve got a lot of centre-halves fighting for two positions and I want to stay in the team,” Poole responded to the increased competition.
“It’s healthy to have that competition and you’ve got to do everything you can to keep your place, so a clean sheet was welcome.”
