Portsmouth pride for Kenny Jackett after Arsenal FA Cup showing
Kenny Jackett has spoken of his pride after Pompey’s players refused to buckle against the Premier League might of Arsenal.
The Blues suffered FA Cup elimination last night as the Gunners secured a 2-0 fifth-round success at Fratton Park.
However, it took until first-half stoppage time for the visitors to establish a foothold, following an encouraging opening 45 minutes from Jackett’s men.
The match was effectively over by the 51st minute, when Eddie Nketiah established an unassailable two-goal lead.
Yet, to their immense credit, Pompey never surrendered, fighting until the very end and searching for a consolation.
It was an never-say-die attitude which impressed their manager.
Jackett said: ‘I am proud of the run we’ve had in the competition, we have to look forward now and look forward positively because there’s a big couple of months coming up for us.
‘I felt it was an experienced-enough side which faced Arsenal, it was a good-enough team, but we just couldn’t find those moment at key times. Going in at half-time, we needed to try to get through.
‘Sometimes you can put your best side out, but if it has no energy then you are not going to get the performance – and we did push them all the way.
‘Arsenal are the sort of side that if they get their tails up can really hurt you, they can get their tails up against anybody and it can be difficult, but to be fair we didn’t buckle and kept going.
‘Ultimately, we didn’t disgrace ourselves, we gave it a good go.’