As starts to long pre-season schedules go, Pompey's was pretty satisfactory.

Of course, no-one will get remotely carried away with a 3-0 win at Salisbury - who were so short that Steve Claridge had to turn out up front aged 51 - but the Blues went about the game in a professional way.

And new boss Kenny Jackett got a good look at many of the squad he has inherited - although not at a player he has bought, with defender Nathan Thompson missing out with a minor injury.

Goals by Milan Lalkovic and Ben Close, all in the second half, earned victory but it was as much about fitness as winning - though Jackett did say both were important.

Jackett told the club website after the game: 'It’s not everything, but you always want to build a winning culture in pre-season if you can. We got more dominant as time wore on and overall the game was a very useful exercise for us.

'We wanted to give everyone 45 minutes and this was an early chance for me to have a look at the players. I learnt a lot in terms of individuals and where they are fitness wise, as well as seeing all the young players we’ve got at the club.

'It’s a good period for me to assess how they’re performing in the games and on the training ground. Then I can work out where we need to improve.'

Pompey: Bass (Collins 46); Evans (c) (Talbot 46), Burgess (Davies 46), Clarke (Whatmough 46), Haunstrup (Bedford 46); May (Widdrington 46), Rose (Close 46); Roberts (Baker 46), Bennett (Main 46), Lowe (Lalkovic 46); Naismith (Kabamba 46). Subs not used: D.Smith, Oxlade-Chamberlain

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