Pompey travel to Sixfields tomorrow looking to rubber stamp their League Two survival with a result against struggling Northampton.
Team News
Wes Fogden may start after coming off the bench to score the winner yesterday with Michael Drennan possibly making way. Ben Chorley wasn't even included in the squad for the Bristol Rovers game despite being fit and available and so may not be included again.
Defender Zander Diamond, who scored against Pompey for Burton earlier in the season, is doubtful after being stretchered off in the 1-1 draw at Wycombe on Friday. Chris Hackett is pushing to start the game having been left out recently.
The Match
A couple of weeks ago this match looked like it would be pivotal in deciding which team gets relegated with Torquay at the end of the season but Pompey may well be mathematically safe should Bristol Rovers lose their early game with Rochdale.
Even if they don't, any positive result for Pompey at Sixfields will see Football League safety achieved but with four wins in four games under his belt, why shouldn't Andy Awford aim higher?
Portsmouth haven't registered five wins in a row since March 2011 and given the amount of energy and effort this current team are showing coupled with some slick attacking football there is no reason why they can't win again, especially as the pressure is all on the home side.
The Cobblers are in the relegation zone on goal difference with Wycombe and Bristol Rovers on the same points. Whilst their defence has tightened up recently, they have struggled to score goals and have had to rely on goalkeeping errors to gift them the goals in their two most recent games.
Given that Pompey have scored seven in their last two games it should be safe to say that they'll find the net again tomorrow. On the other hand, the defence lacked any real organisation in the first half in particular yesterday and you wonder if Ben Chorley will be recalled to add some leadership and strength into Pompey's back four.
Whatever Awford decides to do, this should be a good day out for the fans who have suffered on their travels this season. Relegation is virtually impossible now but hopefully that won't mean that the players start to think about their summer holidays.
Another couple of wins would see Portsmouth finish in the top half of the table and that would be a remarkable achievement given that non-league football next season looked a very real prospect under Richie Barker. I wonder how he feels about the whole situation now?
Predicted Starting Line-Ups
Pompey
GK: Trevor CARSON
RB: Adam WEBSTER
CB: Bondz N'GALA
CB: Jack WHATMOUGH
LB: Nicky SHOREY
DM: Danny HOLLANDS
DM: Rhys McCABE
RM: Jed WALLACE
CM: Wes FOGDEN
LM: Ricky HOLMES
CF: Ryan TAYLOR
Last Time: Northampton Town 0 Portsmouth 2 (Division Four - 03/05/1980)
Frank Burrows' men went into this match now etched in Pompey folklore, knowing they had to win at Northampton's County Ground and hope Bradford lost at Peterborough to secure promotion back to Division Three.
Steve Davie and Ian Purdie scored the goals to secure victory and once the Pompey fans heard that Bradford lost 1-0, the party well and truly began and as a younger Pompey fan, I have heard many stories about this day in our history and its events! The thousands of blues who were there that day will surely never forget it.
My Prediction
Northampton may need the points more but Pompey have been playing with such confidence and attacking quality that, as long as complacency isn't an issue, we'll be celebrating a fifth straight win.
Northampton Town 1 Portsmouth 2