Rob Atkinson still not happy at Portsmouth despite heroics v Derby
Rob Atkinson had a game to remember against Derby County on Saturday.
Pompey were looking to push away from the relegation zone against The Rams at Fratton Park, but they ended up involved in a 2-2 thriller that forced them to share the points.
Atkinson was at the heart of all the action in the second half, scoring an equaliser after Jerry Yates had scored moments before, only to help Derby retake the lead four minutes later by scoring an own goal.
However, the centre-back wasn’t done there as he managed to make up for his earlier mistake by rescuing a point for his team with a 91st-minute equaliser.
The 26-year-old was involved in all of the most heated moments, both positively and negatively, as he more than played his part in the result.
Atkinson still owes Portsmouth
John Mousinho’s men will have been happy to take a point due to the nature of the game, but failing to win against a team lower than them in the table wasn’t ideal.
This is especially true at Fratton Park, where Portsmouth have made a fortress since the turn of the year.
| Match Stats | Atkinson |
| Total Shots | 3 |
| Accurate Passes | 28/33 (85%) |
| Touches | 55 |
| Tackles Won | 0/1 (0%) |
Atkinson reflected on the game after the final whistle to BBC Sounds, saying: “The job isn’t done and I won’t be happy until this club is safe and guaranteed to be playing Championship football next season.
“The club owes me nothing, and I owe them a lot because they took a gamble on me – I’ll forever be grateful for that.”
Portsmouth still have work to do
Pompey currently sit 18th in the Championship table and have a four-point gap ahead of the relegation zone, but there is still work to do.
Atkinson is aware of that, and so are the fans due to how quickly things can change in this division after just one matchday.
There is tons of pressure on Pompey for the remaining games as there is very little room for error, especially since half of those games are on the road, where Mousinho’s team have struggled this season.
A trip to face Norwich City is next on the cards for the Blues on Friday (18 April), where they will look to take the momentum from this game to keep moving forward in the table.
This could prove to be a huge Easter weekend for those in blue.