Pompey's excellent away record faces a stern test when they take on Notts County at Meadow Lane tomorrow.
Team News
Gareth Evans is available after suspension and is likely to be considered for an immediate return to the starting line-up. Adam McGurk is also pushing for a start after returning to the bench last Saturday whilst James Dunne and Adam May have joined Dagenham and Gosport respectively.
Magpies defender Theirry Audel is the only injury concern for Ricardo Moniz with Mavouna Amevor available after serving a suspension. Izale McLeod may well line up against his former employers.
The Match
Having just dropped four points on the road all season, Pompey fans will have every reason to be confident of seeing another victory away from Fratton Park tomorrow, although Notts County are unbeaten in three matches.
Like Portsmouth, Notts like to play in a 4-2-3-1 formation with McLeod up top on his own. Pompey haven't yet suffered the "former player curse" this season but although he got some abuse for being lazy during his time at Fratton Park, Izale knows where the goal is and will want to silence his doubters.
Paul Cook is likely to bring Evans back into the team judging by his comments in the media this week and how Kal Naismith didn't cover himself in glory against Mansfield last week. He may get some stick from Pompey fans but he has scored and created goals whilst working hard at the same time.
The bigger dilemma for the Pompey manager will be whether to stick with Matt Tubbs who has scored three goals in his last two away matches, or pick the fit-again McGurk who offers more to the team with his all-round play.
There is the feeling he could pick both with McGurk playing just behind Tubbs. It could work quite well if Pompey are allowed to play and given how well the defence usually press the opposition, there should be a fair few chances created as County don't seem like the type of team to sit back.
It'll be a tough game to call but Pompey could do with the points to keep the automatic promotion hopes going and to put some pressure on Plymouth above them, too.
Predicted Starting Line-Ups
Notts County
GK: Roy CARROLL
RB: Elliott HEWITT
CB: Mike EDWARDS
CB: Mawouna AMEVOR
LB: Alan SHEEHAN
DM: Alan SMITH
DM: Liam NOBLE
RM: Adam CAMPBELL
AM: Stanley ABORAH
LM: Jack BARMBY
CF: Izale McLEOD
Pompey
GK: Brian MURPHY
RB: Ben DAVIES
CB: Christian BURGESS
CB: Adam WEBSTER
LB: Enda STEVENS
DM: Michael DOYLE
DM: Adam BARTON
RM: Gareth EVANS
AM: Adam McGURK
LM: Kyle BENNETT
CF: Matt TUBBS
Last Time: Notts County 3 Portsmouth 0 (League One - 22/09/2012)
Two goals from Yoann Arquin either side of a long range strike from Alan Judge saw Pompey easily defeated at Meadow Lane. Not one to remember on a dreary afternoon in Nottingham.
My Prediction
A part of me believes that County are a mediocre side and Pompey will simply be too strong for them. The other part thinks that we'll lose this one for some unspecified reason. Best to sit on the fence, then.
Notts County 1 Portsmouth 1