Preston boss delighted with Portsmouth win as Callum Lang absence explained

Portsmouth now lie just one point clear of the Championship relegation zone after slipping to a narrow defeat at play-off contenders Preston North End on Saturday.

Pompey produced a number of positive moments during their loss at Deepdale and created several chances to grab at least a point from their trip to the North West - but it was their hosts that secured the points as Alfie Devine’s fine header separated the two sides when the full-time whistle was blown.

John Mousinho admitted his side were left ‘scratching their heads’ in the aftermath of the defeat and bemoaned by referee Adam Herczeg’s decision not to award Pompey a penalty after hosts defender Jordan Storey appeared to foul Adrian Segečić in the North End area.

For Preston boss Paul Heckingbottom, there was an appreciation that his own side had to work for their win as he praised his players for showing ‘a lot more resilience’ to maintain their push for a top six place.

He told the club website: “A big win. A hard-fought win. I don't think we're going to get many pretty games here, but we're going to get exciting games. When the margins are fine, and there's only one goal in it, you know it's going to be nervy. We had to defend our box well, as it wore on. The first goal is always big. If you can get the second one, it does change the dynamic of it (the game). We did get punished a lot last year when there was only one goal in it and got pegged back. This year, we've shown a lot more resilience, and we had to today.”

Former Pompey man’s absence explained

There was one notable absentee from the North End squad as former Pompey star Callum Lang missed an immediate reunion with his old club just days after making the switch to Deepdale. The 27-year-old helped Portsmouth to the League One title in 2024 and was part of the side that retained their Championship status last season - but he will now hope to shine with Heckingbottom’s side as he is eased into life in the North West.

“He's (Lang) only really trained one day with us,” explained the North End boss after Saturday’s win. “He missed a lot of days because he thought the deal was going through. His first real day of training with us was Thursday. It's just slightly too soon, but he's fine and we'll have him back next week.”

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