Pompey’s play-off push to go down to the wire

Portsmouth are hopeful of finishing in the League One play-off places for the third consecutive campaign, but their fate could be decided on the final day of the season.

It has been a season of ups and downs for the south coast side, who found themselves top of the league at the start of the festive period. Since then, however, they have been unable to maintain such form and now find themselves in a battle to secure a top six finish.

Danny Cowley, alongside his brother and assistant Nicky Cowley, were hired to steer the ship back on course following the dismissal of Kenny Jackett in March.

Their tenure began with a bang as the team picked up four consecutive wins against Ipswich, Shrewsbury, Rochdale and Wigan. This saw Pompey rise from 10th to fourth within a matter of games, sparking positivity back into the side.

However, Pompey have since fallen back after a poor run of form. A home loss to Burton and a goalless draw away at Crewe Alexandra saw them drop down t0 sixth. Then, losses to MK Dons and relegation-threatened Swindon Town once again raised questions as to whether or not they can really achieve a play-off place this season.

Recently, a victory at home to Bristol Rovers saw Pompey pick up three crucial points. It was very nearly two wins from two as John Marquis appeared to score a late winner away at Accrington Stanley on Tuesday evening, only for the striker to bundle a rebound into his own net just minutes later.

As it stands, Portsmouth are in sixth in League One with two games left to play. Their opponents in last year’s play-off semi-final, Oxford United, are currently one point behind them in seventh. However, if Charlton win their game in hand, Pompey will find themselves outside of the top six.

Saturday will see Cowley’s side take a trip to AFC Wimbledon, who find themselves two places above the relegation zone. A win for Pompey would take them one step closer to the play-offs but with other teams around them having games in hand, they are not entirely in control of their own destiny.

The final game of the season will see Portsmouth face Accrington for the second time in two weeks, with a win at Fratton Park that day hopefully securing another play-off finish. On paper, the next two games are very winnable for Pompey but their recent f0rm may hamper their prospects for a successful end to the season.

If a top six finish is to be achieved, Cowley’s men will be keen to make it a case of ‘third time lucky’ in the play-offs, having experienced heartbreak last campaign against Oxford and Sunderland the season before that.

Portsmouth fans are desperate to get back into the Championship sooner rather than later. Whether or not it will be achieved this season remains to be seen, but a full season under their new management should hopefully be enough to get them back to English football’s second division.

Follow us on Twitter @ProstInt