Hunt: Accrington is a must-win match for Pompey

Stanley are the visitors to Fratton Park tomorrow as Paul Cook strives to end a disappointing run of successive defeats.

Embarking on a winning streak is compulsory if the Blues are to earn promotion from League Two this season without the need for the play-offs.

And Hunt acknowledges that must kick off against John Coleman’s strugglers.

With 18 matches remaining, the opportunity exists for Pompey to force their way into the top-three positions.

The Blues have two games in four days on home turf, with Blackpool visiting on Tuesday evening.

And the importance of triumphing tomorrow in the battle for promotion cannot be underestimated.

Hunt said: ‘They all are must-wins, we know that, it’s a big game.

‘We owe Accrington one from earlier in the season when we went to their place and their boy (Patrick Lacey) scored a great goal. But, again, we should have won that game comfortable.

‘We have been working hard at the training ground this week, working on our shape, working hard on what we think might be their shape, but you don’t know, teams change when they come to us.

‘All we can do is prepare as best we can and go and deliver tomorrow.

‘We need wins, in the next four or five weeks you will start to see where teams are and what is happening.

‘So for us it will be a great way to start with a win against Accrington.’

Pompey presently sit in seventh spot, seven points off third-placed Carlisle, with a game in hand.

– NEIL ALLEN