Kenny Jackett: Portsmouth players have shown promotion spirit with Burton win

The Blues swooped at the death to inflict a harsh 2-1 defeat upon Burton on Good Friday.

Matt Clarke’s stoppage-time winner was not without controversy, nonetheless marked a seventh-successive victory.

And with four more triumphs required for a place in the Championship, Jackett recognises his team’s exceptional attitude.

He said: 'You need that if you are going to win on a regular basis, you need to show fantastic character, desire and attitude.

'You need organisation, you need determination, you need heart – and at the right time you need quality as well. I think we have those.

‘We scored two goals at Burton and if you look at our goals for record it's very good. So far in the league only Luton have scored more, we are very capable of scoring.

‘And we defended great, that’s needed as well if you are going to be consistent.

‘There are very high standards at the top of this league and there are hard games. Charlton going to Oxford and losing, that was a difficult game for them, and for us it was difficult at Burton as well.

'We worked hard, they are the standards.

‘We've had a good season so far, we have to keep pushing. The opportunities are there for us to look ahead now and enjoy the challenge.

‘It is a big challenge ahead.’

Pompey are presently two points adrift of second-placed Barnsley with a game in hand.

Crucially, the Blues travel to promotion rivals Sunderland on April 27, an encounter which will surely decide the outcome of both clubs’ interest.

As it stands, three of Pompey’s four remaining fixtures are at Fratton Park, including the final two against Peterborough and Accrington.

Before then, Coventry visit on Bank Holiday Monday, a side seeking to boost their own promotion ambition.

Mark Robins’ team are five points short of sixth-placed Doncaster with three matches left.

On Friday they won 2-0 against Bradford, following on from a remarkable 5-4 triumph at Sunderland in the previous game.

And they will also be bringing former favourite Conor Chaplin back to Fratton Park.

Jackett added: ‘Portsmouth is a really good club, everybody wants to be here.

‘Sunderland will find that, they are probably the biggest club in the division, matches at Burton are everybody's big games, that's where it is.

‘On Friday, obviously when it was that late in the game, it did look like we were playing for a point in terms of seeing the game out. You are also wondering what has happened elsewhere in the country.

‘But we came through that to get a win against a good Burton side.

'After the game, firstly off we talked tactically, then after that talked about attitude – and both of those things affected Friday's game.

'In this instance we look forward positively and learn from it. Then come back to Fratton Park on Monday.’