Pompey’s League One fate is still to be decided.
With seven games remaining, John Mousinho’s table-toppers hold a comfortable lead over nearest challengers Derby and Bolton. But until it’s mathematically impossible for them or others to overtake the Blues, then nothing can be taken for granted.
There’s still a lot of football to be played, offering the chasing pack enough of an opportunity to claim the top prizes on offer. And the same can be said for another accolade Pompey players will have on their agendas - the Pompey player of the season award.
The News will soon be opening up our vote for fans to have their say on who they believe deserves recognition. There’s certainly plenty of contenders - but who has the best chance of winning. Here’s who we think are the current runners and riders with just a few weeks of the season remaining.
1. Will Norris
The keeper has barely put a foot wrong following his free-transfer arrival from Burnley in the summer. That’s earned him plenty of plaudits, with his capabilities with both his hands and feet warranting praise from peers and fans alike. Eighteen clean sheets in League One can’t be bettered by any divisional rival as the Blues boast the second meanest defence in the third tier behind Lincoln. In fact, apart from the Imps' Lukas Jensen and Leeds' Illan Meslier, no other keeper in England’s top four divisions has recorded more shut-outs than Norris. With the keeper also playing every minute of Pompey’s League One season to date (3,780 minutes), no other Blues player has spent more time contributing to the side’s promotion push than the 30-year-old. Photo: National World
2. Conor Shaughnessy
Let’s face it, no-one expected the free agent from Burton to make the impact he has at Fratton Park when he arrived in the summer. Not even head coach John Mousinho could have foreseen Shaughnessy’s importance to the title push after omitting him from his match-day squad for the season-opener against Bristol Rovers. How things quickly changed, though, for the solid-as-a-rock Irishman.
3. Conor Shaughnessy (continued)
Last-minute winners against Wycombe and Carlisle made fans sit up and take notice. Now the 27-year-old is one of the first names on the team-sheet after establishing himself as the cornerstone of the meanest defence in the division. In addition, no outfield player at Fratton Park has racked up more league minutes than Shaughnessy.
4. Sean Raggett
The cult hero’s Pompey days looked set to fizzle out as he accumulated just nine minutes of League One football by October 3. But after stepping in to fill the void left by Regan Poole’s season-ending injury at the start of November, Raggett has started 26 of Pompey’s past 27 league games and been a real pillar of strength in the Blues back line. The game he didn’t start came against Northampton, when John Mousinho handed a debut to new signing Tom McIntyre. The former Reading man subsequently broke his ankle in the 54th minute of that game - and guess who stepped in!