Danny Rose says Pompey's players were not surprised to see Eoin Doyle end his spell without a goal when he put them ahead at Colchester.

His first-half opener was only the on-loan Preston man's second goal in the month he has been at Fratton but Rose - who later got on the scoresheet himself - said Doyle's team-mates had every faith in him.

Rose told the Pompey website: 'We’re all pleased that he got another goal because he’s had a bit of a tough time of late. But he gets in the right positions and his movement is second to none. He definitely got what he deserved.

'His record speaks for itself and we have plenty of faith in him, so he’ll have a vital role to play between now and the end of the season.'

Rose said he enjoyed his goal, even if it didn't go in at the first attempt. He told the site: 'I tried to hit it with the outside of my boot into the top corner, but it didn’t quite come off.

'Thankfully it came back to me and the keeper dived at my feet, so I instinctively just tried to lift it over him. The way we play means that the central midfielders have to be quite disciplined, but the opportunity was there to get higher up the pitch and I took it.'

Pompey are back in action at home to Grimsby on Tuesday - then go to one of their rivals for promotion, Stevenage, on Saturday.

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