‘Finish it’: The no-nonsense message from Portsmouth dressing room in promotion war with Bolton Wanderers, Derby County, Barnsley & Co

Joe Rafferty savoured Pompey edging away from their promotion rivals and demanded: Let’s put it to bed.

John Mousinho’s side moved a point further from their immediate fellow Championship contenders, after Saturday’s 0-0 draw at Charlton.

With both Derby and Bolton falling to defeat it means the Blues are now seven points clear at the top of League One.

And that means a significant swing, with those below Mousinho’s men now unable to overtake his side even if winning their games in hand.

Rafferty was in bullish mood after the hard-earned point in the capital, with Pompey grafting it out after failing to reach their fluent best.

The 30-year-old called for his team now to go out and do what’s required over the final 11 games to deliver the success he’s had in his sights, since arriving at PO4 in 2022.

Rafferty said: ‘We just need to go at it. We’re in a brilliant position and we need to maintain that. 

‘We’ve just got to go at it, we just have to get as many wins as we can. We’re in a brilliant position and we just need to maintain it.

‘When you’re going for the title you haven’t got a divine right to come to places like The Valley and pick up wins.

‘We have done it, but we’re not to go to these places and blow teams away. These teams are fighting for their lives and we’re away, so I wasn’t disappointed with that point.

‘This 100 per cent might be the point that gets us over the line, that could be the way we look at it come the summer. It’s doing everything now to finish the job.

‘I said from the start, I didn’t come here to this club to play games and do whatever. It wasn’t my intention - I came here to get promoted.

‘We’ve put ourselves in an absolutely brilliant position. We have to go out and finish it now.’