Better late than never as Portsmouth discover they have the goal-den touch to mount serious promotion push

But another table that often warrants prying eyes suggests there’s no reason why they can’t be at the summit in the very near future.

A sentence none of us, bar the optimists among us, would have thought would be uttered just a couple of weeks back.

Back when crisis club Wigan beat the Blues 2-1 at Fratton Park on September 21, Kenny Jackett’s side remained winless in the league, with an Ellis Harrison effort on 89 minutes that day their only goal after three games.

For added context, that loss saw Pompey languishing fourth from bottom in the table, already seven points behind early pacesetters Ipswich.

Yet fast forward nearly two months and a more positive picture grabs your attention.

Despite two further home losses against Doncaster Rovers and Charlton respectively – games that saw the Blues’ fire blanks yet again – Jackett & Co now sit fourth in the table.

They’re three points behind current table-toppers Hull and just one adrift of Ipswich, who sit directly above them in the standings.

Unsurprisingly, no team in the division is in better form than the Fratton Park outfit over the 10 games that have been played since that Latics embarrassment.

Only Peterborough, who have now lost their past two league games, have matched them for points over that time period – 22 to be precise.

But Pompey currently have one over their London Road rivals thanks to their goal tally in recent weeks.

Indeed, believe it or not, the Blues are now the division’s top scorers following yesterday’s 4-1 win against Crewe.

Actually, let’s go even better than that – Jackett’s side are now the EFL’s joint-top goalscorers along side League Two Cambridge.

Yes, you read it correctly – the FOOTBALL LEAGUE’S JOINT-TOP SCORERS at this stage of the campaign, with 25 goals to date.

No Premier League team has netted as many times, either, but they’re all some way behind in terms of games played.

That represents an incredible turnaround given the lows unfortunately identified above, when Pompey’s supposedly impressive attacking array of players looked mechanical, devoid of ideas, disconnected – strangers even.

Clearly a lot has changed since then, with the Blues netting 24 league goals in that time and racking up 18 in their past seven outings.

Credit must go Jackett for realising that there was more to the game of football that his so-called tried-and-tested and often dull 4-2-3-1 formation.

Since that Wigan defeat, the manager has been more flexible in his choice of systems, keeping the opposition guessing.

And while opponents have generally struggled to cope with what the Blues have to offer, his previously under-fire forwards have now risen from the ashes to ignite hope for all of the Fratton faithful.

They’ve even found that spark within their own games, with John Marquis – League One’s current top scorer with nine goals – now looking every inch the striker who had fans dreaming when he arrived in the summer of 2019 from Doncaster Rovers.

Ronan Curtis, who netted two against the Railwaymen, is also finding his feet after a below-par start to the season.

Meanwhile, the midfield is even attempting to gate crash the feel-good factor amongst the attackers, with Tom Naylor now netting three goals in as many outings.

For the record, he’d scored only five goals in the109 appearances he’d made prior to his Ipswich strike three games ago.

The Blues appear to be finally finding their groove as an attacking force.

Some might say it’s come a little bit too late, with Jackett now into his fourth season as manager.

However, it’s better late than never, as red-hot Pompey look to have fire their belly and the goal-den touch to go one better this season than previous failed attempts at promotion.

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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