Portsmouth boss Jackett targets promotion next season

Posted Sunday, May 06, 2018 by PA

Portsmouth manager Kenny Jackett believes his side can challenge for a place in the Championship next season after ending their campaign with a 2-0 win at home to Peterborough.

Top-scorer Brett Pitman struck twice in the first half to ensure Pompey finished in eighth in the League One table – just two places outside the play-offs.

Jackett said: “There’s positives from a solid season. It’s one we want to build on.

“Next season why shouldn’t it be us to go up?

“Certain sides over-achieve quite often and at certain times it goes to plan. I feel we have the potential to do that.

“The top 10 of this league is very competitive and you are in good company if you are there. We want to set the bar to reach the Championship. That is our aim and we have to work hard to do it.”

Pitman could have scored four times in the first half alone but had to settle for a brace to take his tally for the season to 25 goals.

The former Bournemouth striker headed Pompey in front from Gareth Evans’ corner before turning in Jamal Lowe’s cross to make it 2-0.

Pitman then missed a sitter from three yards before being denied a hat-trick by a smart save from Posh goalkeeper Jonathan Bond.

The south coast side failed to add to their scoring in a largely non-eventful second half.

Jackett said: “We could have been out of sight in the first half. We got the two goals and had many more chances.

“You always know with Peterborough, though, they are capable of quickly turning the game.

“They have a lot of players who can score a goal out of nothing, though.

“We didn’t create enough in the second half, but were quite comfortable as the game petered out.”

Peterborough left out leading scorer Jack Marriott due to ‘significant interest’ from other clubs.

Marriott is understood to be a target of QPR and Nottingham Forest.

Posh boss Steve Evans was disappointed with his side’s error-strewn display.

Evans said: “We didn’t keep the ball in the final third in the first half and that is no fault of Idris Kanu.

“He got no support from the people who were supposed to support him in attack.

“The first goal we conceded was disappointing. It is from a set-play. We felt that the second goal is probably offside, but we didn’t get that decision.

“We made changes at the break and Danny Lloyd and Joe Ward were probably our two brightest players. We had one or two half chances but it wasn’t to be.

“We are disappointed because it is not the end to the season we would have wanted.”