Fratton Park to stage pre-promotion party as city of Portsmouth pursues double dream

The Fratton Park pre-promotion party is arranged for this weekend as Pompey close in on a remarkable double title assault.

Jay Sadler’s Pompey Women are presently five points clear at the top of the National League Southern Premier Division with a game in hand and a staggering plus 59 goal difference.

With five games remaining, only two sides can now thwart what appears to be likely promotion - and they entertain one of them at Fratton Park on Sunday (2pm).

Switching from their customary home venue at Westleigh Park, the Women host third-placed Rugby Borough in the knowledge just eight more points are required to be mathematically certain.

Having racked up 14 successive league wins and conceded just seven times all season, they continue to set the pace in a remarkable season.

And with John Mousinho’s men also on track for promotion, it’s shaping up to be a memorable season for everyone associated with the Blues.

Pompey Women head coach Jay Sadler told The News: ‘I know it’s boring taking it game by game, but we have put ourselves into a really good point where it’s in our grasp potentially. It’s ours to throw away.

‘Mathematically we need eight points from our remaining five matches, three wins would do it. But that’s only if second-placed Hashtag United were to win their last four games.

‘Rugby would need to beat us on Sunday to keep in the promotion race, it’s a season-defining game for them. They will be feeling a lot of pressure, particularly in front of our fans at Fratton Park.

‘It’s also significant for us. This is our game in hand - win that and we’re eight points clear with four fixtures to go.

‘Over the years, the occasion of playing at Fratton Park has overawed our groups. There has been opposition we have expected to perform against and haven’t - and teams we’ve expected to put a few past and haven’t.

‘Now we’ve had those experiences and arguably one of the greatest rehearsals at Newcastle United recently. We are now fully equipped now not only do we understand the magnitude of the occasion, but the magnitude of the game itself.

‘We’ve got a fanstatic record at Westleigh Park and Andy (Cullen) has been really helpful in trying to get more games at Fratton, but we have kept continuity by playing at Westleigh Park.

‘One of the main reasons for moving to Fratton on Sunday is to generate a big crowd and create a big noise, making the most of that Pompey hostility and using their energy to get us over the line.’

Mousinho’s troop are not in action this weekend, with their scheduled Barnsley clash postponed with Kusini Yengi, Paddy Lane and Myles Peart-Harris absent through international duty.

Yet they remain in a strong position in their own promotion race, lying nine points clear of third place in the automatic spots.

Sadler added: ‘There’s a lot of similarities across both seasons, in terms of the position they’re in and the pressure they are under to obtain promotion.

‘It has been two fantastic seasons watching and following both. How good would it be if both of us managed to do it.’