Burgess: Four victories '“ but Pompey can improve
A fourth successive victory and second place in League Two.
Yet Christian Burgess believes there is still room for improvement following Saturday’s 4-2 triumph over Wycombe Wanderers.
Paul Cook’s side maintained their winning streak, despite having fallen behind to Paul Hayes’ 10th-minute opener.
Burgess, a Gary Roberts penalty, Conor Chaplin’s stunning header and Carl Baker marked a four-goal turnaround in the hosts’ favour.
A negative was Hayes grabbing a second amid some defensive frailties to contrast to the Blues’ attacking might.
Pompey had recorded three successive clean sheets before Saturday – and central defender Burgess was disappointed in their contribution to the Fratton Park proceedings.
He said: ‘We started sloppy, we started slow, were not as good as we were last week and the two goals were disappointing from our point of view.
‘At the other end I am delighted for the lads, but as a unit and whole team there is always something to improve on – and we will have to look at it.
‘We were speaking before about clean sheets and I said it’s not imperative, sometimes you do go behind and it happened on Saturday.
‘Don’t panic, regroup, we have a lot of attacking threat so just have to keep believing – and it paid off.
‘We have seen some fantastic keeping displays before at Fratton Park and I thought it was an entertaining game, very end-to-end.
‘It just so happened Wycombe capitalised on their chances, Paul Hayes took his two goals very well and they showed a lot of character.
‘Wycombe posed a different threat and the first goal we probably need to look at it – I’m not sure exactly what more we could have done. Hayes made a great run and got across me and Tom (Davies)
‘With the second goal you have to anticipate it a little bit more. There were half-hearted clearances, I thought we had chances to clear it and you have to anticipate the ball coming back in – perhaps we were a bit slow to do so.
‘That being said, you are going to concede goals throughout the season – I am just delighted that at the other end we looked very good.’
Still, Saturday was double delight for Burgess, who marked his 50th Pompey appearance with a goal – and crucially the leveller.
He added: ‘I got my head to the ball and as I went down I think it came off my heel.
‘That was the last touch, I definitely felt it – it was my goal!’
– NEIL ALLEN