Portsmouth

Tom Chappell
Portsmouth fan writer from Fournilwrittenalloverit

Image source, Shutterstock

Albeit not beyond mathematical doubt, with the 50-point mark smashed through on Saturday, three wins in a row in the space of seven days and now five games unbeaten, you'd be forgiven for considering Portsmouth a Championship side for at least another season.

Pompey's nine-point week couldn't have come at a better time.

An explosion of form from absolutely nowhere means that all of a sudden, beating last season's 54-point tally appears plausible. That would've felt absurd just a few weeks ago.

Inside 15 minutes, with both Keshi Anderson and Terry Devlin withdrawn through injury in the 1-0 win over Leicester, two ideal candidates to grab the game by the scruff of the neck were no longer available.

This, twinned with a bitty and stop-start affair, paved the way for a "one moment that wins it" match. And up stepped Ibane Bowat.

Both Regan Poole and Nico Schmid contributed two match-defining blocks, and while Pompey's performance didn't have the splendour of last Tuesday night against Ipswich, both results count for the same number of points - and register equally as significant in terms of survival for John Mousinho's side.

The pressure abates somewhat for Pompey fans, with the expectant champions in waiting, Coventry City, next up. That game would've had an entirely different complexion if Saturday hadn't gone our way.

With hindsight, the international break following the QPR game may well have saved Pompey's season.

A point or two and we could now be over the line with a handful of games to spare.

Find more from Tom at the Fournilwrittenalloverit, external YouTube channel

Image source, Opta

After securing their first promotion to the top-flight in 59 years, Coventry City will aim to seal the Championship title by beating Portsmouth at the CBS Arena on Tuesday night (19:45 BST).

Despite drawing their past three games, the Sky Blues are 10 points clear of second-placed Ipswich following Sunday's 2-2 draw between Town and Middlesbrough, with the Tractor Boys having four games remaining.

Pompey head north on the back of three straight wins, and clean sheets, against Boro, Ipswich and Leicester, which have lifted them seven points clear of the relegation zone with three games to play.

John Mousinho's side would be safe, even with a defeat, should Oxford United lose at home to Wrexham, also on Tuesday night.

• Coventry have won three of their past four league games against Portsmouth (L1), and are looking to complete the double over them for the first time since 2010-11.

• Portsmouth have failed to score in six of their past nine away league games against Coventry, though they've avoided defeat each time they've scored in that run (W2 D1).

• Coventry failed to score in their last home league game against Sheffield Wednesday (0-0); not since November 2023 have the Sky Blues gone successive league matches on home soil without a goal.

• Portsmouth have recorded four wins across their past 10 away league games (D3 L3), as many as in their previous 34 away league games since the start of last season (D9 L21).

• Coventry's Brandon Thomas-Asante has scored in six of his past seven home league starts (6 goals), only netting more home goals for a single club in an English league season in 2023-24 (8 with West Brom).

Andrew Moon
BBC Radio Solent's Portsmouth commentator

Image source, Shutterstock

To say a team wanted it more has become very cliched in football, an easy retrospective analysis to say about the team that won.

But it feels relevant. Pompey fought for their lives and it was enough to beat a side that is more talented on paper.

It was a poor spectacle, with Pompey failing to reach to levels of Tuesday's win over Ipswich.

Losing Terry Devlin and Keshi Anderson in the opening 20 minutes was unfortunate and did not help the match find a rhythm.

Before last Saturday, Pompey had not kept a clean sheet since January. They have now had three in a row. They have also scored three times from corners in that time. Football is a game of fine margins.

Portsmouth are not safe yet but it would now take an unlikely sequence of results to send them down. The turnaround since the 6-1 thrashing at QPR has been incredibly impressive. Survival would be a great achievement.

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Portsmouth boss John Mousinho admitted that their win over Leicester was the "toughest 90 minutes" of their three successive victories.

The Blues managed to beat the Foxes to move themselves seven points clear of the relegation zone.

Adrian Segecic found Ibane Bowat from a corner for the game's only goal, sending Fratton Park into chants of "we are staying up" after the final whistle.

"That was probably the toughest 90 minutes of our last three games," Mousinho told BBC Radio Solent.

"It was hugely important and overall we deserved the win, we just had to get the job done because it wasn't a pretty game.

"The start of the game doesn't help with the injuries we picked up with Keshi (Anderson) and that changed the way that we play a little bit as Segs (Adrian Segecic) is a very different player.

"And then with the injury to Terry (Devlin) we had to restructure the back four and nothing got going in the first half at all.

"Thankfully, we had a couple of good chances before the goal and probably could have done better but managed to find the net."

Portsmouth are next in action on Tuesday when they travel to already promoted Coventry City.

Dan George
BBC Sport England at Fratton Park

Image source, Getty Images

While Portsmouth are not mathematically safe, their past three results in eight days have been crucial to their hopes of staying up.

After the draw with Oxford United on Easter Monday, the Blues have gone on to beat Middlesbrough, Ipswich and now Leicester to move seven points clear of danger with just three games to go.

John Mousinho's side were under serious pressure away at Boro a week ago before going on to snatch victory in added time.

They then capitalised in two home games, aggressive in their approach against Ipswich before finding a way to get over the line in Saturday's scrappy affair with the Foxes, who were fighting for their lives.

At a crucial time in the season Pompey's key players have stepped up, Marlon Pack in particular outstanding on the ball in both home wins this week.

The three clean sheets in those games will have particularly pleased Mousinho, whose side have leaked goals for much of the season but now seem to have found a real solidity at an important time.

"I think it will be quite tense at Fratton Park but it is an opportunity for Pompey.

"Win and you feel they are on the verge of safety and I don't think we saw that coming a week or so ago."

BBC Radio Solent's Chris Wise and Andy Moon reflect on a stellar four days for Portsmouth and why their survival hopes are feeling a little less blue as they get ready to host Leicester.

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Andrew Moon
BBC Radio Solent's Portsmouth commentator

Image source, Getty Images

It's easy to forget that Terry Devlin didn't start any of Portsmouth's first 13 league games this season. He wasn't injured. Just not selected. Often making late appearances as a substitute.

Since getting his first opportunity against Wrexham on 5 November, he's been left out of John Mousinho's starting line-up just once and that was through suspension.

It wasn't a huge surprise that Devlin swept the board at the end of season dinner, winning men's player of the season, players' player of the season and goal of the season.

Regan Poole deserves at least an honourable mention for a consistent and excellent campaign but the supporters and playing squad were on the same page about Devlin's impact.

The Fratton Park crowd always appreciate committed and tough-tackling players but there is more to Devlin's game than that.

Five goals from right-back is a very good contribution in a low-scoring team. He impacts both ends of the pitch.

This is a player who joined as an attacking midfielder for just £70,000 three years ago. His work ethic and dedication are praised as exemplary behind the scenes.

You don't make the progress he has without commitment and the discipline to live your life as a professional.

Some players may have been knocked off course when Wrexham's transfer interest was rebuffed late in January. Devlin kept his head down and kept working as if nothing had happened.

The rumoured £2m was never likely to be enough for Portsmouth to consider selling him in the window. His value certainly hasn't gone down in the meantime.

Wrexham may come again this summer. There are likely other admirers as well.

Devlin could end up being sold. If he does go, it will be for a very healthy profit after making a key contribution to what Portsmouth are hoping will be another successful battle against relegation.

Portsmouth head into this clash having further boosted their Championship survival hopes with an impressive 2-0 win over Ipswich on Tuesday.

That victory meant Pompey moved four points clear of the relegation zone and stretched their unbeaten run to four games with a chance of making it three wins on the bounce here.

Second-bottom Leicester will be desperate for a win after last Saturday's 1-0 defeat by Swansea.

No wins in five means the Foxes are five points from safety before their trip to Fratton Park, making this a massive game for Gary Rowett's side if they are to stand any chance of avoiding relegation.

• Portsmouth are unbeaten in their past five league games against Leicester (W2 D3), with each of the last three all finishing 1-1.

• This is Leicester's first away league game against Portsmouth since a 1-1 draw in November 2011. Their previous visit prior to that draw was a 6-1 defeat.

• Portsmouth have lost their past two home league games on a Saturday, both by the same scoreline (1-0 v Sheffield United and Hull). They have not lost three in a row since April 2018, when they were in League One.

• Leicester have taken just 13 points from 54 available in the Championship in 2026 (W2 D7 L9) – indeed, only bottom side Sheffield Wednesday (three) have picked up fewer points in the division since the turn of the year.

• Leicester winger Abdul Fatawu has completed the most dribbles (108) in the Championship this season, while he has also been involved in more shots following a carry than any other player (76 – 54 shots, 22 chances created).

Earlier we asked what you thought of Portsmouth's survival chances after a stellar few days which earned Pompey back-to-back wins over high-flying Middlesbrough and Ipswich to move four points clear of the bottom three with four games to go.

Here are some of your responses:

George: Win on the weekend against Leicester and we are safe.

Sarah: It's not done yet! It would be such a Pompey thing to do to beat Boro and Ipswich and then lose to Leicester on Saturday. As a Pompey fan I won't relax until it's mathematically certain we are safe. But given where we were a few weeks ago we've got every chance and it's in our own hands.

Tony: Definitely not done and dusted. After beating Leeds last year Pompey lost to bottom club Plymouth at home, albeit outplaying them most of the game. There are four very tough games coming up, although the last four were also very much in that category. The Championship is brutal, but also the most exciting of all, hence why we need to stay there - if possible!

Ian: I think 52 points (four more) will keep us up for another season and this achievement arguably outranks last season's. We have a weaker squad and a misfiring attack and somehow the team and the manager are finding a way. Sooner or later though, paying League One wages will see you back in that division. I think despite the praise he receives, Mousinho is still underrated - he is working miracles on 45% of the average Championship wage bill. If our approach to wages doesn't change, I think sooner or later we're back in League One and Mousinho is off to a club who will back him.

Andy: I'm delighted with the last two games, it looked like we might need 10pts from 6 games, so now 4 from 4 with 2 of the harder games out of the way. I honestly thought we were down after Oxford but the Championship is a crazy league and Mousinho has the boys fighting for him and the fans, a very good manager. We can't say we have done enough but a win against Leicester may well be.

Elliot: A fantastic few days, we've been great since returning from the international break. But, we're not out of the woods yet! Four points should seal safety. A win against Leicester would give some real breathing space.

Fiz: Super Pompey Staying Up. What a difference players back from injury makes! We have been very unlucky with injuries this season with most of our best players out the majority of the season.

Ray: Just think how good we could be if we could afford some players as backup to a team wracked by injuries each season. When we have just one player out we have to make wholesale changes to the team.

Martin: Three points against Leicester this weekend and we are safe. Wouldn't be surprised if we go unbeaten until the end of the season now - look back in history, Pompey regularly hit 'Championship' form after Easter!

Jo: I had said QPR game was the turning point. 2 wins and 2 draws proves me right. Eisners IN banners then. 6 more points from the final 4 games will do it but more work to do next season as there won't be any clubs deducted points.

Tom Chappell
Portsmouth fan writer from Fournilwrittenalloverit

Image source, Shutterstock

You'd be hard pressed to find a better four-day period for Pompey this season.

Albeit still an incredibly tight situation at the bottom of the Championship, to beat two teams back to back, home and away, both with a strong shout of being Premier League sides next season, is as remarkable as it is bonkers.

Pompey hadn't won a league game in eight before Saturday's trip to Middlesbrough.

Fratton Park hosted what ended up being an incredibly consequential night at both ends of the division last night. By quite some way, our best performance of the season.

The implications of our two results since the weekend are enormous internally - and for a group of players who were completely on the floor just a few weeks ago at Loftus Road, this week is a confidence boost which comes just at the right time.

The back four were monumental, a vintage Marlon Pack display, and the best we've seen from Millenic Alli since his first three games here.

Pompey did what we've struggled to do all season in the first half. A gripe that has underpinned our campaign has been leaving points out on the pitch. Time and again John Mousinho's side have struggled to net gilt-edged chances, and ended up paying the price in defeat. Last night, Pompey went in two goals ahead, having put two of our four big opportunities in the back of the net.

That set the tone for an accomplished second-half performance, and, despite some of the most talented players at this level being sent on by Kieran McKenna, Pompey's clean sheet felt threatened on only a handful of occasions.

Cruising to a 2-0 victory against the division's second-placed side is sensational.

A win against Leicester on Saturday and Pompey can all but consider themselves a second-tier side next season once again.

Find more from Tom at the Fournilwrittenalloverit, external YouTube channel

Ninety-two minutes is a lifetime in football, eh Pompey fans?

With the seconds running out on Saturday afternoon at Middlesbrough, Portsmouth were heading into the Championship relegation zone, courtesy of Oxford's win over Watford.

However, a 97th-minute winner at the Riverside was followed by a superb display to beat promotion-chasing Ipswich 2-0 on Tuesday night, and all of a sudden Blues have leapfrogged West Brom and Blackburn and now have a four-point cushion over third-bottom Oxford with four games remaining.

Another home game against second-bottom Leicester follows on Saturday (12:30 BST) before a trip to Champions-elect Coventry on Tuesday, with Stoke away and Birmingham coming to Fratton Park to complete the run-in.

So, Pompey fans, have you done enough already? How many more points would make you feel comfortable? How would survival this year compare with last year's great escape?

Click here to have your say.

Andrew Moon
BBC Radio Solent's Portsmouth commentator

Image source, Shutterstock

Four days is a long time in football. On Saturday, Portsmouth were minutes away from dropping into the Championship relegation zone. Now they are four points and three places above the dotted line.

If Saturday was a smash-and-grab win at Middlesbrough, Tuesday night's home victory over Ipswich was fully deserved. They worked hard and defended well against a good Ipswich side, took their chances when they came and held on fairly comfortably in the second half.

This felt like any number of home wins we saw last season. There haven't been too many Fratton Park nights like that this campaign.

Survival suddenly seems within touching distance. However, last season Pompey did have a knack of following up big wins with disappointing losses.

Also, this was victory against a team wanting to outplay Pompey at Fratton Park. They still haven't proved they can beat sides who come and play very defensively against them.

Leicester have to beat Pompey on Saturday - a draw is of little use to them. How they approach things will be interesting to see.

John Mousinho said that Portsmouth's win over Ipswich Town on Tuesday night was the best performance since he has been in charge at Fratton Park.

Pompey struck twice just before the break through Conor Shaughnessy and Colby Bishop to move four points clear of the bottom three.

"In the moment it feels like the best performance since I've been here," Mousinho, who was appointed in January 2023, told BBC Radio Solent.

"There's been some good ones and that is definitely the best performance of the season, with everything taken into account over the last few weeks I think that is justified.

"The mentality off the back of the win on Saturday was something we haven't had all season, after winning games we wouldn't follow it up, we've only done it once from Charlton to Millwall.

"There's been a lot of false dawns where we've won a game and then looked to turn a corner but it's not quite been there, the other pleasing thing was the work rate which was just superb against such a top side tonight.

"It's still incredibly tight and tough down the bottom and the margins in the game are incredibly tight, we have to do everything we can to pick up as many points as we can."

Portsmouth are next in action on Saturday when they welcome 23rd-placed Leicester City to Fratton Park.

Image source, Opta

Portsmouth got back to winning ways last time out with an impressive 1-0 victory at promotion-chasing Middlesbrough.

A victory over another promotion hopeful in Ipswich on Tuesday (20:00 BST) would put four points of daylight between them and Oxford United in 22nd.

At the top end of the table, Ipswich Town will look to extend their unbeaten run to 10 games, having not lost since a 5-3 defeat by Wrexham in February.

A win would put the Tractor Boys five points clear of third-placed Millwall with a game in hand.

• Portsmouth are winless in each of their last five league games against Ipswich Town (D2 L3), since a 2-1 home win in League One in March 2021.

• Ipswich won 2-1 at Portman Road in the reverse fixture with Portsmouth in September this season and could now complete a league double over Pompey for the first time since 2011-12 under Paul Jewell.

• Portsmouth are winless in each of their last nine midweek Championship games (D3 L6), since beating Cardiff City 2-1 in February 2025. Pompey have failed to score in four of their last five midweek games.

• Ipswich Town have won only one of their last six Championship away games (D2 L3) and could lose back-to-back league matches on the road outside of the Premier League for the first time since December 2021 in League One.

• Portsmouth's Colby Bishop has scored more goals in the Football League against Ipswich Town than any other opponent (six goals – three for Accrington Stanley, three for Pompey).

Image source, BBC Sport

Tom Chappell
Portsmouth fan writer from Fournilwrittenalloverit

Image source, Shutterstock

Saturday afternoon was by a country mile Pompey's best win away from home all season, but also could prove to be an incredibly consequential result in the context of our fight for survival.

There is something so magical about a Portsmouth fan and academy product scoring one of the most significant winners of the campaign during his second spell at the club.

The scenes in the away end were completely out of this world. Five and a half hours from home and a near 650 mile round trip, worth each and every second for that one special moment.

Our Friday night drive to Teesside was punctuated by road closure after road closure resulting in our arrival in the small hours of Saturday morning. As we watched Pompey come under siege time and time again throughout the 90 minutes, the feeling was very much that one of those Boro blows would eventually land, and ruin an already testing weekend.

But the blow never came, and following two game-defining stops from Nicolas Schmid, and an Andre Dozzell block on the line, nothing could breach the Pompey rearguard. Madiodio Dia, during the definition of being 'thrown into the deep end' performed exceptionally well.

And having defended almost constantly since kick-off, from a corner ironically, came our 97th minute moment in the sun. Conor Chaplin on the inadvertent receiving end of an Adrian Segecic goalbound strike. Cue blue blooded chaos at The Riverside.

Our southbound return leg breezed by, and given the length of travel gave an opportunity to digest the day's events fully.

This never normally happens in our favour. It's usually Pompey who suffer the late sickener away from home. That little bit of luck so often goes against us.

On Saturday, the luck was, at long last, given the season we've endured to date, very much with us.

Find more from Tom at the Fournilwrittenalloverit, external YouTube channel

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Portsmouth manager John Mousinho says beating Middlesbrough with a 97th minute winner was one of the most dramatic victories of his career.

Conor Chaplin struck deep in stoppage time at the Riverside Stadium and the win lifted Pompey out of the bottom three and Oxford were on course to jump above them.

The victory ended Portsmouth's eight-game run without a win to the delight of Mousinho.

He told BBC Radio Solent: "Managing to score with the last kick in the circumstances is right up there.

"We did what we had to do today. We stayed in the game and had good opportunities on the break in the second half, we didn't have the confidence or belief.

"When you don't have a lot of the ball, it can sometimes be a bit panicked when you win it back.

"Some of the last-ditch defending [was brilliant]. It was a whole team effort."

Image source, Getty Images

The EFL has announced the fixtures for the 2026-27 season will be published at midday on Thursday, 25 June.

The first-round draws for the Carabao Cup and the Vertu Trophy will be made on the same day.

The new season will kick off on the weekend of August 7-9 with the first round of the Carabao Cup, and the opening fixtures in the Championship, League One and League Two will follow a week later on 14-16 August.

The first round of the Vertu Trophy will be played in the week commencing 21 September.

Andrew Moon
BBC Radio Solent's Portsmouth commentator

Image source, Getty Images

Was referee Josh Smith right to send Connor Ogilvie off at Fratton Park on Monday? Should Oxford's Brodie Spencer have gotten his marching orders in the second half?

I don't think so and probably, would be my answers but I'm not trying to re-open a debate about refereeing. I am highlighting just how tight things are at the bottom of the Championship.

Portsmouth have just six matches remaining. There is one point between the three sides in and just outside the relegation zone. Supporters of Pompey, Oxford and Leicester now have to accept that their survival could hinge on one marginal game-changing decision.

It's not purely down to fortune, sides have had 40 matches to avoid being in this position, those three clubs haven't been able to do that.

Without Leicester's six-point deduction things would look quite bleak for both Portsmouth and Oxford. Keeping it at six seemed the only logical conclusion following the appeal hearings. Any other decision would likely have relegated someone.

Those things should be decided on the pitch.

On paper Portsmouth have the toughest run-in. Three of their next four matches are against sides battling for automatic promotion. Although Pompey have taken 11 points from nine matches against sides currently in the top six.

They'll be hoping Coventry are already celebrating by the time they head there later in the month. Mid-table Stoke and Birmingham appear ideal opponents in the final two matches but there are absolutely no guarantees with this Portsmouth side still lacking in goals.

Blackburn aren't quite over the line yet but are close. West Brom certainly aren't safe but both have consistently picked up results in the past month.

Portsmouth could do with something from the trips to Middlesbrough, Coventry or home game with Ipswich. Those games sandwich a home match with Leicester which may well be season-defining and send the loser to League One.

We've reached the point where a whole year's work for the entire football club may come down to one moment. It's not for the faint hearted.

Image source, Opta

Middlesbrough welcome Portsmouth for a vital clash at both ends of the Championship table on Saturday afternoon (kick-off 15:00 BST).

Having spent three months in the automatic promotion places, Boro slipped to third with defeat to Millwall and a draw at Swansea over the Easter weekend.

Relegation-battling Pompey have picked up just three points in eight games since their impressive 3-1 win at Millwall on 21 February, meaning they now sit just one point clear of Leicester in 22nd, albeit with a game in hand.

• Middlesbrough have won just one of their past nine league games against Portsmouth (D5 L3), a 3-1 away win in March 2012.

• Following their 1-0 win in October, Portsmouth are looking to complete the league double over Middlesbrough for the first time since 1993-94.

• Middlesbrough are winless in their past five Championship games (D3 L2), their longest run of the season. Since the date of that first winless game, they've had 48 more shots than any other side (126) and 122 more touches in the opposition's box than anyone else (272). Despite this, they've only scored four goals and have the worst shot conversion (3.2%), underperforming their xG by 8.9 (4 goals, 12.9 xG).

• Portsmouth have gone eight Championship matches without winning (D3 L5), their worst winless run since failing to win their first nine games of 2024-25.

• Middlesbrough's Hayden Hackney has created the most chances both overall (83) and in open play (62) in the Championship this season. He's also completed 848 passes in the final third, the fourth-most by a player in a Championship season (excl. play-offs) on record since 2013-14.