John Mousinho sounds Portsmouth battle cry after 'lack of quality' against Morecambe devastates play-off ambition

The Blues are presently five points off fifth-placed Bolton with five matches remaining.

Successive draws against MK Dons and now Morecambe – two struggling sides – ensured Pompey totalled a disappointing two points over the holiday period.

There were boos from the Fratton faithful which greeted the final whistle of the Bank Holiday Monday clash with Morecambe, following a lacklustre showing in a goalless draw.

Mousinho also criticised his team’s display, particularly in the second half against a Derek Adams side entrenched in the League One relegation zone.

But despite Pompey falling further behind Peterborough, Bolton, Derby and Wycombe, he will not surrender play-off ambition.

The Blues’ head coach told The News: ‘It was two draws and two wins for the sides above us, which obviously makes it a challenge, it makes it really difficult.

‘We could have really done with the three points, but I don’t think it’s insurmountable, we will keep going, we’ll keep fighting.

‘We’ve still got 15 points to play for and that’s what we’re going to do come Saturday at Shrewsbury. We have to believe, otherwise there’s no point in being here.

‘Until it’s mathematically impossible or otherwise, we will keep fighting and keep making sure we do everything we can to try to get into that top six.

‘Upon reflection coming away with two points from Easter is disappointing, I’d like to think we could have won both games, so are four points short of where we could have been.

‘Ultimately, it’s our own doing – from Friday, especially – but also against Morecambe because we just didn’t perform to the standards we set ourselves over the past few weeks.’

There were two golden first-half chances for Tom Lowery, while Owen Dale saw a header from a second-half corner stopped on the line by Cole Stockton.

Morecambe keeper Connor Ripley also produced a tremendous stoppage-time save to keep out Reeco Hackett’s header.

But the head coach criticised his team’s lack of creativity.

He added: ‘It was a frustrating game to watch, not just because of the way Morecambe set up, which to be fair they did really well, but the way it was handled in terms of the ball being in play for hardly any of the second half.

‘However, we just didn’t create enough and are frustrated because we completely dominated the game in terms of possession and territory.

‘Ultimately, particularly in the second half, we didn’t create enough chances and there was a distinct lack of quality in the way we went about our business.

‘I haven’t actually seen that from the boys so far. I’ve seen them play with a lot of bravery, a lot of ambition, and they have been excellent so far.

‘It’s the first time I just thought the ball, throughout the side, broke down too easily and we didn’t create enough. It does feel like a missed opportunity.’