Former Blues striker Ellis Harrison insists there was no extra incentive to impress during Portsmouth’s 1-0 victory over his old club on Saturday and that he remains on good terms with his former team-mates.
The 25-year-old, who put in what was regarded as his best performance for Pompey on Saturday, left Portman Road for Fratton Park in the summer for £450,000 after a frustrating injury-hit year with Town, having scored only once in nine starts and eight sub appearances.
"There wasn’t any extra incentive. It was more about bouncing back from last week [when Portsmouth lost 4-1 at Accrington],” the Welshman told the Portsmouth News.
"But obviously it does feel better when you don’t get given a chance there and you come here and the manager has faith in me. It was good to repay him with that on Saturday.
"I've started the past seven league games and I’m still to be at my best and be doing it week in, week out. I’m doing it in blips at the moment, which isn’t good enough for my standards.
"I work hard every game, I’ll always work hard for the team and it is good to almost get repaid for working hard — although you’ve got to work hard whether there’s one fan in the stadium of 18,000.
"They’ll get behind you if they see you working hard and that's what football is about."
Harrison, who has scored eight goals this season, had a combative afternoon, clashing with a number of his former team-mates over the course of the game.
The Newport-born frontman was booked for a painful-looking late tackle on his former skipper Luke Chambers in the opening seconds and might have been shown a second yellow card for another foul on the central defender just before half-time.
But ultimately it was the Blues captain who saw red in the closing stages for a foul on the former Bristol Rovers man.
However, Harrison says relations with Chambers and the rest of his old squad remain good.
"I took a few and I gave a few. I spoke to those boys before and after the game,” he added.
"But come 3pm, there are no friends. I’m not going to be friendly because I want the three points and they weren’t going to be friendly to me.
"I’ll get on the phone and I’ll speak to Chambo and the boys like nothing has happened.”