Pompey need to score first

The Blues are currently on their worst run of matches without a win in 37 years as they prepare to take on Colchester tomorrow. Caretaker boss Guy Whittingham’s side have managed to take the lead just once in their 16-game run without a win. That came in the 2-1 defeat at home to Crawley last month. Connolly believes it is a damning statistic which reveals much about why Pompey are struggling. Tuesday’s 2-0 loss to Notts County saw Pompey hold out until the 81st minute before they fell behind to Jeff Hughes’ goal. That saw the side’s fragile confidence exposed and the game drift away from Whittingham’s men, with Francois Zoko adding a second two minutes from time. Connolly feels his team have to give themselves a platform in games as they bid to end their winless run. He said: ‘The results don’t lie and it was another loss on Tuesday. ‘But you just hope if you keep putting that performance in and if we score first, what will that be like then? ‘That’s what we will try to do. ‘I think that is the key – to score first and see if we can hold on to something, as opposed to going a goal down and trying to get back into it.’ Pompey will see Colchester as a decent chance to arrest their poor run of form at Fratton Park tomorrow. Connolly doesn’t feel his team are in a position to be looking at any game in that light, however. The U’s lost nine games on the bounce before they picked up a 2-0 win over Walsall at the Weston Homes Community Stadium last weekend. They find themselves sitting perilously close to the League One drop zone with just goal difference keeping them out of the bottom four going into the game. But Connolly reckons they will be looking at the match as one they can prosper from with Pompey enduring such turmoil. He said: ‘It will be another tough game this weekend that they will expect to win. ‘We think they are winnable games – but the opposition will think it’s winnable as well.’