Dozzell aiming to consolidate Pompey's solid start

Andre Dozzell hopes Portsmouth can ensure a "really good start" to their Championship campaign when Preston visit Fratton Park on Saturday.

The 26-year-old has played every minute of Pompey's opening three league games as the Blues began with a win at Oxford before following up the narrow home defeat by Norwich with a creditable point at West Bromwich Albion on Saturday.

Dozzell told BBC Radio Solent: "Preston are on a high at the minute, they've just beaten Ipswich 1-0 with a solid performance.

"We're expecting a tough game but we know if we are on it, at home, with the fans behind us, coming away with three points would make it a good start to the season.

"Seven points from four games, I think that's a really good start, but it's early, we have just got to keep working hard, take it game by game."

The visit of North End is the final match before the international break, with the next fixture the hotly-anticipated trip to Southampton for the south coast derby on 12 September.

"We've got to focus on Preston but obviously Southampton is such a big game, everyone's looking forward to it," Dozzell added.

"Hopefully we can get three points on Saturday and then have the international break when we can really focus on our game plan - it's going to be a good occasion for us.

"You can feel it around the city, when Southampton came down we knew it was going to be a huge game, especially for the fans."