How Portsmouth's play-offs hopes were dented at Plymouth and what has changed in the year since Kenny Jackett was sacked

Tuesday’s 1-0 loss leaves the Blues eight points behind sixth placed Sunderland with nine games to go in the season.

Pepe Lacey was joined by Sam Cox to talk about the key talking points from yesterday evening’s action and also look at what’s changed in the year since Kenny Jackett was sacked as Pompey boss.

Here’s what was discussed.

Pompey lost 1-0 against Plymouth last night, we’ve known over recent games that their play-off hopes were starting to fade. Are those hopes coming to an end now?

I think last night was a must win.

That was also the feeling among the supporters and those closely connected with the club purely because of the fact Plymouth were in sixth place, and had played the same amount of games as Pompey.

There was a feeling going into the game if they had not picked up three points then that would severely damage the play-off hopes.

A draw would’ve kept any faint hopes alive but just on face value, a defeat would pay to them having any ambitions of sneaking in.

It’s not mathematically impossible and whilst there is a chance, you can never say never.

There’s a collective understanding among fans on Twitter and those inside Fratton Park that this season is probably over in terms of play-off hopes, but attention can now turn to next year.

The goal came from a rare defensive error. Pompey have been so strong defensively throughout the season, were you surprised to see them give a cheap goal away like that?

Last night was always going to be one of those games where it would be very cagey, and it was always going to take a moment of brilliance or an error to settle it.

Unfortunately that came at the feet of Louis Thompson, who had the ball pinched off him and the ball fell to Ryan Hardie and a player with that ability isn’t going to miss from there.

It’s something we haven’t come accustomed to because he has been so solid and classy when he has played for Pompey, so you can almost allow him to have that one off.

Pompey have been very solid at the back but there haven’t been a huge amount of errors throughout the season that have led to goals but these things happen in games.

That shouldn’t put Louis Thompson off because in the eight match unbeaten run before the defeat he was one of the best players.

Pompey had been strong in-front of goal throughout their unbeaten run but haven't scored in their last two. Is there signs that their problems in-front of goal are sneaking back in and can Michael Jacobs prevent that when he returns?

Michael Jacobs might not have been the difference last night but he would’ve certainly helped to try and unlock a solid Plymouth side.

When you have large spells of possession, he is the type of player that can turn the screw and make those key passes.

The last two games have been against teams in the top 10 and they’re in there for a reason.

If you compare them to the games they have scored goals in like Crewe, they were low on confidence and it’s a game Pompey were expected to score goals and they did that.

But, the same problems and the same questions that have come up against them when they face those top eight sides have been asked again because they have fallen at that hurdle.

It’s just a continuation of what we’ve already seen. It’s not surprise on the evidence that we’ve seen earlier in the season that they haven’t scored against their last two opponents.

What was your take on Pompey’s penalty decision and how would the game have turned if the Blues were awarded it and scored?

From where I was sitting, I don’t think it was a penalty.

I’m not too sure if the goalkeeper made any contact at all with George Hirst.

He does win the ball back in close proximity anyway so he is going to have to go around the goalkeeper and I don’t think the keeper made an attempt to play the ball or make any contact.

Cowley said he had an alternative angle which confirmed in his mind but when it’s 0-0 and the referee gives a penalty and Pompey score it and go 1-0 up, then the whole complexity of the game changes.

They could be more solid at the back and not have to push but I think the referee made the right decision last night. I don’t think the goalkeeper has made enough contact or made an attempt to miss a tackle to bring him down.

Kenny Jackett was sacked a year ago last Monday with the club's reasoning being to stop the club going backwards. A year later, Pompey sit 10th in League One, what has changed in the year since he departed Fratton Park?

I think there has been a collective togetherness because there was a massive disconnect between the fans and the management staff.

Danny Cowley has well and truly rebuilt that and there is a great connection between the fans, team and the dugout.

They both have two contrasting styles of football and it takes a long time to overhaul one in terms of the personnel and the style of play and I think we have seen signs in the unbeaten run that the signs of progression were there.

That might not have come to fruition when you look at the league table, but I think there is a collective agreement that they’re in a good place going into next season from the evidence that we’ve seen.

You have to remember 14 new faces came into Fratton Park in pre-season, five did the same in January so there is a massive turnover in players. It has probably been slower than most have anticipated but we’ve seen it in recent weeks.

I think there has been progress made since he left and it was the right decision and I think there is that connection between the fans, players and the dugout which ultimately is a huge thing for the supporters and those on the pitch.