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Draw and win indicate Pompey progress but there's work to do

Pompey couldn't get the better of Bognor - but did chalk up their first pre-season with a late winner at Gosport.

A 1-1 draw at Nyewood Lane was a good workout for Paul Cook's team but, as much as the manager knows it is still early days for this new-look Blues team, he will have been relieved to see his young side snatch the poils at Privett Park.

Conor Chaplin and Theo Robinson put Pompey 2-0 up at Gosport in Cook's men third test against local non-league opposition in eight days.

But just as Bognor had battled back from a goal down in West Sussex on Friday night, Gosport too were down but not out.

Justin Bennett and Jamie White drew Borough level - only for Chaplin to pinch the win in the 89th minute.

At Bognor Matt Tubbs was on target early on before Moneyfields youngster Alfie Rutherford, on trial at Nyewood Lane, pounced on a Paul Robinson error to equalise early in the second half.

Speaking after the Bognor game, boss Cook told the club website: 'I thought we were disappointing, but I think we all realise that there’s still a lot of work to be done. Everything’s still a bit new to the players and we just have to work a bit harder.

'We need to score goals and we need to create chances — I didn’t see us create too much in the second half. We haven’t been able to keep a clean sheet in two games now, so there are areas we need to improve at both ends of the pitch.

'My message to the players will stay in the dressing room, but we were well supported and I’m not sure we showed enough appetite. We started the game really well and looked bright, so I think we probably slipped into a bit of complacency.

'But I thought Bognor were excellent. They gave us a good test and credit to them for that. We’re working our way towards that Dagenham game — that’s the big one. The results don’t mean too much at this stage.'

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