'Flat' Rochdale first half concerns Kenny Jackett amid Portsmouth fatigue worries

The Blues are third in League One following last night’s 3-0 success over Rochdale, a 10th successive win at Fratton Park in all competitions.

However, scratching beneath the surface exposes a dreadful opening 45 minutes which threatened to ground Pompey’s encouraging surge up the table.

They lacked energy, quality and impetus until Ryan Williams broke the deadlock on the stroke of half-time.

Steve Seddon and Christian Burgess added to that tally during the final 12 minutes of the encounter.

But Jackett was concerned with the first-half display – and possible tiredness during their gruelling schedule.

He said: ‘I didn’t think in the first half we were at our best, it was pretty flat by our standards.

‘Maybe it’s down to the amount of games, I don’t know, I don’t like to make excuses, we were flat and passed it slowly in the first half.

‘We didn’t get any shots in, our crosses went pretty easily looped up to the keeper, but then we had two good chances at the end of the half and took one of them.

‘But you have to say for the first 42-43 minutes it was poor stuff from us, we could be a bit better

‘At the start of the second was pretty similar. Chances come late, though, and you do have to be fit enough to make the most of that.’

Pompey now find themselves two points off leaders Rotherham, having played the same amount of games.

However, with other League One sides today competing, they have the opportunity to overhaul the Blues in what is a congested table.

Regardless, 11 matches remain for Jackett’s men to clinch an automatic return to the Championship.

Pompey's boss added: ‘It’s the right time to be coming into it, we want to keep it going, but, obviously, the next two league games are big ones as well, we have Peterborough and Fleetwood.

‘They are ones we look forward to and are teams in and around us.

‘It’s all to play for – and we have to keep concentrating.’