Conor Shaughnessy's return to Pompey's team was one of the few bright spots on a night to forget as the Blues lost to Millwall.

The central defender came on for debut-making Hayden Matthews - whose display was another plus - in the second half for his first appearance since the early part of the season.

He was delighted to be back - if downbeat over the result - and looks set to play a big part over the final three months of the season as John Mousinho's team try to save their Championship skins.

The Irishman told the Pompey website: 'On a personal note, it felt fantastic to be out on the pitch again after what has been a tough few months for me. There have been a couple of setbacks, so it’s a great feeling and the reception from the fans was amazing.

'I’ve had longish-term injuries before, but this one was the most frustrating and mentally tough to get my head around because it kept changing. Hopefully I can now be out there again on a more regular basis and helping to contribute to the season.

'I’m feeling good and there were no problems for me. I feel ready to start and it’s up to the gaffer, but we’ve brought in some good centre-backs and I thought Hayden Matthews did really well.'

Shaughnessy said Pompey's first home defeat since October was disappointing and added: 'It was certainly not the result we wanted. The performance was there, but we lacked a bit of quality in the final third and they took one of the few chances they had.'

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