Danny Cowley pinpoints the crucial backbone finally in place to drive Portsmouth promotion ambition

Now the Blues boss wants to add more essential qualities as he moulds a team capable of reaching the Championship.

Pompey suffered a first loss in nine matches after going down 1-0 at Plymouth on Tuesday night.

Crucially, in a tight contest, the visitors’ end product was their undoing, with Pilgrims keeper Michael Cooper not remotely tested all evening.

In the wreckage of defeat. Cowley once again praised his team’s fighting spirit and heart, characteristics which have become increasingly evident since the turn of the year.

And he believes the backbone behind his Pompey ambition is now firmly in place.

Cowley told The News: ‘Anyone watching us against Plymouth will have seen a team giving their all for the shirt.

‘We lost, but not through effort, not through attitude, not through togetherness, and not through lack of fight or spirit.

‘We lost the game because we lacked a bit of quality in the final action. It was a combination of the decision making and execution.

‘It’s hard for me to criticise a group that’s giving their all. They know I will always tell the truth – and we just lacked a bit of quality.

‘The group has moved on massively in terms of their culture. They came in on Sunday to work, that was their decision, it’s a million miles away from where it was.

‘We are on a journey, we are nowhere near where we want to be, but the first bit is to get the attitude and fight right, they are the prerequisites really.

‘I don’t go in there at the end of a game and congratulate them for working hard, the minimum requirement is showing maximum effort.

‘They are showing resolve, desire and fight – and that’s good.’

The Blues are now eight points behind Sunderland, who occupy the final play-off spot at present.

Cowley’s 10th-placed men also possess one game in hand as they continue to chase those above during the final nine matches.

Certainly hopes of breaking into the top six have been severely dented following Ryan Hardie’s 64th-minute match winner at Plymouth.

Next Wycombe visit Fratton Park on Saturday – a team currently seven points ahead having played a game more.

Cowley added: ‘We went to Plymouth and had good control, more possession, more box entries, more touches in the opposition box.

‘That says we did an awful lot right, but we all know what defines a game is scoring goals – and we didn’t do that.

‘Plymouth had fewer chances than us, yet more quality in the final third.’

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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