GRIND IT OUT
Raggett: We have to find a way to get a result when it’s tight
SEAN RAGGETT admitted results like Pompey’s defeat at Blackpool last night could be the difference between promotion success and failure this season.
And the Blues defender told his team-mates they have to quickly put the dire loss at Bloomfield Road right if they are to be genuine contenders for a top two finish in League One this term.
Kenny Jackett’s side fell to a first league reverse on the road against Neil Critchley’s men on a poor night in Lancashire.
An insipid first 45 minutes for both sides was followed by the Tangerines getting on top and taking the points through Keshi Anderson’s 64th-minute effort.
The best Pompey could muster was a stoppage-time effort from John Marquis, which told its own story.
Raggett was angry that his side didn’t show enough nous to grind out a result against opposition who’d won six of their past seven games.
He said: ‘It wasn’t good enough, but when that happens, you have to grind it out.
‘If you keep yourselves in the game in that kind of situation, you never know what might happen.
‘If you are playing poorly, like we were, you might get a set-piece in the 80th minute and be able to nick a goal.
‘We weren’t able to do that, but there will be more games this season where that will be the case and we have to find a way to get a result when it’s tight.
‘We have to learn from this. ‘Our form hasn’t been bad, but we want to get into the top two places.
‘If we want to do that, we have to get results at places like this.’
Pompey continue a run of testing run of games against third-placed Peterborough United at Fratton Park on Saturday.
Raggett wants to see a response – and for his team to show they can find the right response in games where the margins are tight moving forward.
He added: ‘ They (Blackpool) are a good side but we have to be coming here and dig it out.
‘There’s plenty of games left in the season and a big run of games coming up where we have to look to put things right.
‘There has to be results in games like this, though, if we want to get into the top two.’
Pompey’s next four league encounters are all against teams in the division’s top eight at present.
The Peterborough clash will be followed by a trip to Ipswich Town on December 12, a home game against Fleetwood Town three days later and a visit to leaders Hull City on December 18.