Portsmouth head coach John Mousinho hailed Callum Lang for his four goals in a 4-1 victory over Coventry – but joked he was disappointed he did not score more.
Lang bagged his first career hat-trick, before becoming the first Pompey play since Yakubu in 2004 to notch a quadruple – despite the hosts falling behind in 150 seconds.
Mousinho said: “Since Callum has come to the football club he has scored some big goals and he has been our outstanding player this season.
“The energy he puts in, the amount of running he does, his physical presence and it is about adding quality for him – today he added the quality and was superb.
“My only disappointment is that he didn’t score more. It was really pleasing and he should be pushing for more and more.
“He put himself in the right positions and when he got the chances he finished them.”
Lang added: “Obviously a good day but it’s always good playing here with the atmosphere.
“To top it off with my first hat-trick and to nick another one, it’s a nice feeling.
“It’s a good team performance and a massive result for us. We’re going to be fighting all season to stay in the league, so it’s a massive three points.”
Cov had taken the lead inside three minutes when Norman Bassette tapped in Ephron Mason-Clark’s low cross, before Bassette missed a crucial one-on-one chance moments later.
But from the 14th minute, it was the Lang show.
He began with a 20-yard strike which squirted under goalkeeper Bradley Collins before brilliantly holding off a defender to hammer Pompey ahead two minute before half-time.
The former Wigan forward then completed his treble by nodding in when unmarked from a corner, and then went one better by hammering into an open net, after Colby Bishop had been denied.
It set up Pompey’s fourth home match unbeaten in a row.
“It is a fantastic result and a fantastic performance, especially the second half,” said Mousinho.
“I’m really pleased that with that adversity in the first half going a goal down and almost going two down we grew back into the game.
“We were worth the win and probably worth a couple more goals. It was a comprehensive second half performance and I’m delighted with the three points.”
Frank Lampard had won all 16 of his matches against Portsmouth as a player but was downed for the second time since becoming Cov manager last month.
Lampard said: “The second half isn’t good enough. It is the first one I’ve had here where I’ve felt like that, our performances had been really good.
“It was a clear show of what football, especially in the Championship, is all about. When you find a hard moment and you don’t compete, then the result will look after itself.
“I’m not doing to harp on about individual errors because they happen, but they do lose you games.
“Heads were dropping in the second half and they now have to realise that can’t be the way. We can lose a game of football but you can’t lose the confidence and the desire to do something about it.
“They were too aggressive for us in the second half and we weren’t aggressive enough, and when you get that wrong in the Championship then you lose games like this.”
