Craig Westcarr can go from strength to strength after ending his goal drought in the win over Carlisle.

That is the view of Andy Awford, who has praised the striker for battling though his lean period and continuing to give his all.

The Pompey boss told The News: ‘I am pleased for Craig, he has worked his socks off in previous games and on Saturday his overall performance was great. He has gone a little while without scoring — and he is a goalscorer.

‘We brought him to score goals and he will score goals, I have no doubt about that. Craig is a good player, he really is. He has that touch of class about him and is working his absolute socks off now to do the horrible side of the game.

‘I gave him a breather a few games ago but brought him back in for the 
Stevenage game. At Shrewsbury he did well with his effort and work-rate, although it didn’t quite come off for him in some areas at Shrewsbury.

‘On Saturday, he was effective and it was a real centre-forward’s goal — it came off the keeper and he knocked it in. Some people tell me what I am good at is the man- management side of it, and at that point I felt he needed a breather because it was getting on top of him a little bit.

‘He played lots of games for us at the start of the season. And I thought it was time to give him a breather. I knew he would go back in and do well for us and he has done fantastically well.’

Westcarr seems likely to keep his place in the FA Cup against Aldershot on Sunday.

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