Awford determined to show Pompey progress

The Blues slipped to 14th in League Two following a desperately disappointing 2-0 defeat to high-flying Shrewsbury on Saturday.

A goal in each half from Bobby Grant capped a dominant display from Mickey Mellon’s side who were comfortable victors.

But Awford remains determined to finish the campaign strongly, with an improvement on last season’s placing.

He said: ‘I have been saying it for weeks, we have got to get as many points as we can and finish as high as we can, it doesn’t change.

‘You want progress, obviously finishing higher than 13th is better than finishing 13th last year.

‘But everybody’s aim is to finish as high as you can and that is what we still have to try to do.

‘The players have got to keep going until the end of the season, they have to.

‘They signed for this football club knowing what comes with it, so they have to.

‘They don’t go out there to lose on purpose, but we as a group need to do better than we did in the last two games.

‘It has not been good enough. I think on Saturday we ran into a very good side.

‘Shrewsbury are as good a team we have probably seen at Fratton Park and look like they are going to get promoted.’

The Blues have now won just one of their past seven matches and Awford felt the Shrews deserved their win.

He added: ‘Shrewsbury were the better team.

‘I think we gave the ball away too much, while the urgency to win the ball back is something we need to look at.’