Joe Gallen eyeing play-off glory but admits Portsmouth have work to do defensively

The Blues conceded three goals in their decisive defeat at the hands of Peterborough on Tuesday night. That ultimately denied Kenny Jackett’s side the chance to take the race for automatic promotion down to the final day of the regular season, with both Luton and Barnsley four points clear with one game remaining. Pompey’s immediate attention now centres on Saturday’s visit of Accrington to Fratton Park and securing a third-place finish which, theoretically, should hand them an easier route to a potential play-off final. A return to Wembley could extend their season by three games. But before thinking that far ahead, Gallen emphasised the need to restore some defensive stability to a side that is without a clean sheet in seven outings. The Blues assistant manager said: ‘It was a bit of an epic game on Tuesday night - too epic from our point of view, really.

'Conceding three goals at home is certainly not what we want in the next four games - if there is to be four.

'So we've got a bit of work to do for that not to be the case and not play as open as we did at times and really concentrate on the defensive side of things because if we are going to concede three goals in any game it's a tall order in order to win game.

'So that's the first thing we've got to put right.'

Pompey currently have the seventh best defensive record in League One.

Only sixth-placed Doncaster Rovers have conceded more out of the present top six.