Jackett’s delight at killer edge
KENNY JACKETT praised his Portsmouth side’s ruthlessness in a top-of-the-table showdown.
The first half had all the feel of a top of the table clash, but with limited chances.
However, the game was turned on it’s head during a frantic 20-minute spell after half-time.
Glenn Loovens’ dismissal for hauling down Oli Hawkins gave Sunderland a mountain to climb, especially after Gareth Evans had converted he resulting penalty.
The Black Cats put up a spirited response after Ronan Curtis had made it 2-0, but Pompey restoring their two-goal advantage so soon after the visitors had scored was key to the win.
Some home fans had doubted Pompey’s ability to stay at the summit after some unconvincing victories in recent weeks but this felt like a big three points.
Jackett (below) said: “It was quite a low key first half with both sides cancelling each other out.
“We talked at half-time about not leaving anything out there. In terms of the players, they did that in the second half.
“I’m pleased to say we capitalised on the fact it was 11 v 10.
“Credit to the players for their efforts so far and they deserve credit for their consistency and their preparation. As everyone will tell you, you can’t get promoted at Christmas, but you can give yourself a chance.”
Sunderland manager Jack Ross said: “If we’d have managed to stay at 2-1 for a little bit longer the end of the game would have been interesting. “Our resilience level at not buckling was impressive. We’ll take our medicine. There’s a long way to go this season. There are large parts of that match our group will take confidence from.”