The Promotion Race Page

Last updated : 17 April 2016 By Jim Bonner

With the season entering its final stretch, this page is all about the race for the last two automatic promotion places with Northampton Town promoted and crowned as champions of League Two.

Here, you can find the current league position, goal difference and recent form of Pompey's main promotion rivals along with their remaining fixtures and my own synopsis of just how those teams may fare in what has been a very difficult season to predict in League Two.

Can Paul Cook's men put together a run that will see them win promotion automatically and avoid the agony of having to go through the play-offs? Whilst some fans claim that "we only have to worry about ourselves" that clearly isn't the case as the other teams will have to drop points in order for Pompey to overtake them.

Here's how things currently stand: 

2nd: Oxford United: 76pts - GD: +36

Recent Form: LWDDWW (11 points from last 18)

Remaining Fixtures

Newport (A)

Hartlepool (H)

Carlisle (A)

Wycombe (H)

Michael Appleton's men suffered a shock home defeat to Luton on Saturday and had Pompey beaten Plymouth and were able to win their game in hand later this month, at worst they would only be a point behind the U's.

As it stands, all yesterday's result has done has blown the race for 2nd place wide open. It could be that Pompey yet have a date with Oxford in the play-offs.

3rd: Bristol Rovers: 75pts - GD: +25

Recent Form: WDWLWW (13 points from last 18)

Remaining Fixtures

Stevenage (A)

Exeter (H)

York (A)

Dagenham (H)

With the exception of Exeter who can beat anyone on their day, Rovers should win all of their remaining games. Given their last two fixtures are against the bottom two sides it would be safe to say that Pompey won't catch the Pirates who may yet finish as runners-up in League Two.

4th: Accrington Stanley: 75pts - GD: +21

Recent Form: DWDWWW (14 points from last 18)

Remaining Fixtures

Hartlepool (A)

York (H)

Wycombe (A)

Stevenage (H)

Accrington surprisingly failed to defeat lowly Morecambe yesterday and face a resurgent Hartlepool on Tuesday. If they drop points then and Pompey can win at York then catching them by the end of the season isn't totally out of the question.

5th: Plymouth Argyle: 74pts - GD: + 20

Recent Form: WLLWWL (9 points from last 18)

Remaining Fixtures

Leyton Orient (A)

Dagenham (H)

Cambridge (A)

Hartlepool (H)

Plymouth's win at Fratton Park was massive for them and overtaking Argyle now is a tough ask, but not impossible.

Dagenham aside, their fixture list is tricky. Trips to Orient and Cambridge are potential point-droppers and Hartlepool have improved immensely since they sacked Ronnie Moore. They are still catchable despite Saturday's win.

6th: Portsmouth: 69pts - GD: +27

Recent Form: LWWWDL (10 points from last 18)

Remaining Fixtures

York (A)

Wycombe (H)

Wimbledon (A)

Hartlepool (A)

Northampton (H)

The defeat to Plymouth was a huge sucker-punch and prospects of automatic promotion are now slim, but not impossible. Realistically, Paul Cook's men will have to win all five of their remaining games and given the unpredictable nature of League Two that may well be enough.

The remaining fixtures are tricky for various reasons, however, and given the fact that Pompey haven't managed to win four games in a row let alone five, it looks likely that a play-off place is the best us Pompey fans can hope for.

Portsmouth are still six points clear of the teams in eighth, ninth and tenth having played a game fewer and with a vastly superior goal difference on all of them, too. Therefore it would take a monumental screw up not to extend the season by at least two matches come May.