Awford pinpoints day Pompey started winning relegation battle
Monday, 2nd Jun 2014 23:21 by pompey-fans.com staff

Andy Awford has looked back on Pompey's escape from League Two relegation - and has pinpointed the win at Newport, in his first game in charge, as the pivotal result that paved the way for a successful end to the season.

In an interview with the club website, Awford said: 'The performance at Newport for my first game wasn’t 10 out of 10, but it was, in my mind, the most important one. People say to me that the Bristol Rovers game was the defining one, but that first match provided the building block and the three points gave us the confidence to go on from there.

'Against Rovers we had a dodgy period in the first half and responded in the second, but it was a different kind of match. Newport was pivotal — giving the board, the fans and the city confidence. And it gave me some momentum to build on.

'For the following home game against Hartlepool, I asked for a ‘Stockport-esque’ siege mentality from the supporters. It was much easier to ask for that on the back of victory against Newport rather than defeat, so that will always be where it all began to change.

'When you mention the atmosphere at the hotel, perhaps we did play a part with our approach and attitude. But the players also had a huge role in creating that.

'Before I was appointed I think there was a realisation from the players that they were in trouble. After the loss at Rochdale, fans got their crumbs of comfort celebrating the news of Wimbledon’s equaliser at Northampton and I think it hammered the message home about the situation the club was now in.

'If you like it was the dawning of a realisation. I think everyone up to this point, including people around the club, had still considered Pompey as too big and good to go out of the league.

'It was certainly at this point that the players realised the gravity of the situation because they had their own private meeting. I don’t know what was said — and I don’t need to know — but I would imagine it went down the lines of enough being enough.'