Source: Team_Talk
Cotterill thankful for winning lift
Steve Cotterill feels his side may have received a much-needed confidence boost after their 4-3 penalty shootout victory over Crystal Palace.[LNB] With the Carling Cup second-round tie locked at 1-1 after 120 minutes, Richard Hughes fired home the decisive spot-kick after Nadir Ciftci and Carl Dickinson had both missed the opportunity to send Pompey through to round three.[LNB]Cotterill is now hoping his side can build on the victory following a disappointing start to the season which has seen them take just one point from their opening three league games.[LNB]"We didn't give the fans a lot to cheer about in the first half," he admitted.[LNB]"We looked like a team that has been ripped apart; not had the best of starts; not had a good pre-season; looked low on confidence as a team, and that was a big thing for me in the first half.[LNB]"We passed safe all the time and we never took a risk with any of our passes. We never took a risk with any of our runs and that was because of a fear of failure.[LNB]"I told them they needed to forget that and I reminded them they were good players. In the second half they were better.[LNB]"At one stage, we looked as though we would rattle all the penalties in and win comfortably. But up stepped Carl Dickinson just to keep us on our toes a bit more.[LNB]"After 120 minutes, I said to the lads 'we want to win now'. There was no point losing when we had done a game and a half."[LNB]Cotterill reiterated his desire to hang on to Marc Wilson as fresh reports linked the 23-year-old with a move to Stoke.[LNB]"If Marc Wilson goes anywhere, if he goes anywhere, I wouldn't want him to go and I've really got to say this," added the Pompey boss.[LNB]"But if we get to the situation where the club needs money, I don't actually know what I can do about that.[LNB]"It depends on what I get. There are a couple of clubs around that are interested in Marc."[LNB]Palace boss George Burley was encouraged by his side's display, but felt they were hard done by following the dismissal of Wilfried Zaha towards the end of normal time for a late challenge on Dickinson.[LNB]"I thought we played some great stuff," said Burley. "We knocked it about well and we created numerous opportunities.[LNB]"We conceded a goal at the start of the second half, which was against the run of play. Then Wilfred Zaha got sent off, which was the biggest disappointment of the night.[LNB]"He was roasting the full-back time and time again. He had no protection from the referee. The linesman saw him flick a leg out after he was kicked first. We're trying to develop young talent here and trying to get them to play football, and referees need to be careful with a talent like that. He needs to be protected.[LNB]"You could see the talent he had and it was great to watch. For me, that spoiled the game for a young talent, who has never hurt anyone in his life or injured anybody, to be sent off like that.[LNB]"We still created a number of chances with 10 men, so I couldn't have asked any more from the boys.[LNB]"I think you could see a number of them struggled to get to the penalty spot with fatigue after the amount of hard work they put in.[LNB]"All credit for the spirit they showed the whole game."
