Ben Close gives verdict on the value of cup games as Portsmouth focus turns away from league action

And the midfielder believes the FA Cup visit of National League North side Altrincham is a potential ‘banana skin’ the Blues need to focussed on if they are to avoid a sizeable upset.

The visit of the Robins for the second-round tie on Saturday precedes the arrival of Northampton on Tuesday, as Kenny Jackett’s men continue the defence of the EFL Trophy.

The second-round tie is another fixture to work into the calendar and means attentions turn away from the bread and butter of league football for now.

The form book reads just a single loss in the past 12 games and four wins on the bounce following the 3-2 win over Rotherham on Tuesday.

Close highlighted the importance of keeping the feelgood factor from winning games going over the next two outings.

He said: ‘We just want to win games.

‘At this stage of the season we aren’t saying we want to win the EFL Trophy or have a good cup run. We just want to win games.

‘You don’t have those targets. We just want to win the next two games in the cups.

‘Winning games is a habit. It’s a great one to have and we’re winning games.

‘So there’s no way that we are going to try to get eliminated from any cup competitions.’

Pompey will be big favourites to advance to the third round of the FA Cup on Saturday against an Altrincham side who find themselves in the lower half of the National League North table.

But Phil Parkinson’s side are on a powerful run of their own at present, winning their past four games and staying unbeaten in 10 fixtures.

Close has done his homework on this weekend’s opponents and knows they can’t be taken lightly.

He said: ‘It looks like a good draw but they’ve had some good results.

‘It is a banana skin, definitely.

‘They’ve picked up in the league over the last few weeks, so I don’t think it will be easy but it’s game I’m confident we can get through if we are focussed.

‘The manager or staff won’t let us take it easy - you saw that at Harrogate.

‘We didn’t take it easy. We almost had a little scare there and came through it. So that’s a warning to us – it will be the same Saturday.’