Defender’s glee after netting first Blues goal

CONNOR OGILVIE has revealed his desperation to net his maiden Pompey goal after heading home the second against Morecambe on Saturday.

The defender had gone 17 appearances without notching since his summer arrival from Gillingham.

But with the League One match finely balanced, and the hosts holding a slender lead, the 25-year-old rose highest from a second-half corner to direct the ball past Kyle Letheren in front of the Fratton End.

And the importance of such a header can’t be understated with the visitors looking to pile the pressure on the Blues as Danny Cowley’s side struggled to recapture their first-half form.

The ex-Spurs man’s strike all but secured a victory that saw Pompey narrow the gap to the top six to just one point.

Despite operating as a defender throughout his career, Ogilvie scored nine times during his spell with the Gills and proved to be an unlikely asset in front of goal.

And he admitted his pride after getting off the mark in royal blue.

Speaking to The News, he said: ‘I’m absolutely delighted to score at the Fratton End. It’s special.

‘It’s felt like a long while since I last scored a goal but I’m delighted and hopefully I can chip in with a few more.

‘I’ve always prided myself on trying to contribute and get goals and I hadn’t been able to do that until today. And I was able to today so I’m delighted with it.’

Ogilvie’s 77th-minute goal was the club’s first headed league goal this term.

Pompey’s lack of quality from set-pieces has been well documented in recent weeks, with opportunities often wasted from dead-ball situations.

And Ogilvie explained how the team have been working hard to improve from these scenarios following their stalemate with Sheffield Wednesday last Tuesday.

He continued: ‘That’s one thing we did all week (work on set-pieces) because we had quite a few against Sheffield Wednesday and it obviously didn’t work out, and we’ve been working on them from Thursday and it worked.

‘The challenge today was tough but all five of us as a back five dealt with it well and we got a clean sheet as a reward.’