Maguire: We have to build on derby day

Chris Maguire trained his sights on Millwall and vowed: Now it's time to cash in on derby day.

The south coast showdown goal hero promises Pompey have the belief that they can survive in the Championship this season.

Those hopes have been given a renewed vigour off the back of David Norris’ last-ditch equaliser in the 2-2 draw at Southampton on Saturday.

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The Blues know they now have to deliver at Fratton Park tonight against the Lions.

It’s a game Michael Appleton’s men quite simply have to win to give them a chance of staying up.

But Maguire, who bagged Pompey’s first leveller at St Mary’s on Saturday with a goal-of-the-season contender, insists a unity is in place among his team-mates along with a conviction they can pull off a Great Escape.

Maguire said: ‘We’ve enjoyed the Southampton result, but now we need to come down and go again.

‘We’ve got a big game now.

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‘Hopefully we can take the positive result and carry it forward to Millwall and get a win.

‘We totally believe. You can see we are all fighting for each other.

‘We were working from the first minute to the end on Saturday.

‘For a team who are at the bottom, you wouldn’t expect it.

‘People are writing us off but look at the teams we are playing off the park. Some of them are high up the Championship.

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‘People can say what they want, but we know if we get the ball down and play, we are a good team.

‘We are in it together.’

Maguire will tonight look to improve on an impressive return of three goals in six starts since arriving at Pompey.

The 23-year-old has shown his eye for the spectacular with those efforts, and his hard-running displays have also gone down well with the Fratton faithful.

The on-loan Derby man admitted he is loving feeling wanted again after falling out of favour at Pride Park.

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Maguire said: ‘Since I’ve arrived here I’ve loved every minute of it. The gaffer has been brilliant with me.

‘The fans have been great with me and everyone in the dressing room has made me feel welcome.

‘I’m appreciating the games I’m getting and, hopefully, I can put a shift in for the team.

‘I go out there and work hard. I’m doing it for the team rather than myself.

‘I’m not one of those players who’s in it for myself.

‘I could easily do that being on loan, but it means as much to me as any other player in the dressing room.’