Portsmouth 0 Luton Town 0: Jordan Cross' verdict - indomitable Blues silence Championship prophets of doom as arriving cavalry lift spirits

Ten days ago his Pompey side were heading into their Championship return looking a bedraggled group who’d lost their title-winning mojo, a shadow of the side who brought glory to the city in April.

Pre-season had shone a light on the squad’s deficiencies with poor results and poorer performances the unnerving build-up to the most challenging of second-tier openings.

The debate was how far short this group was from the one who’d created the exultant scenes in recent memory, after being shorn of key loan components and dependable generals being shown the door. 

So, yes, it was Mousinho who all of a sudden appeared the unwitting recipient of a seat at the Championship gallows after League One success, with Pompey’s critics sharpening their knives for his side’s grizzly demise.

Yet here we are nine days and 180 frantic minutes into the second-tier adventure, reflecting proudly on what this indomitable group have once again given us.

‘Overall it’s been a good week for us, coming off the back of where we were a couple of weeks ago,’ said Mousinho, in the aftermath of his side standing toe-to-toe with another fancied contender this term. ‘That was because of how we performed and the results, but now we’ve got two really good results.’

The Pompey boss wouldn’t have been immune to the unsettling feeling of his team not being equipped to traverse the steepest of inclines, across their opening fixtures.

What his players have offered us so far, however, is conclusive evidence they have taken on board the basic tenets required in the bid to bridge the gap to opponents with rich assets and even richer resources.

As startling and obvious as the chasm in quality has been stepping up to the second tier, so it’s become admirably clear Mousinho has armed this group with the physical attributes to work relentlessly and fight back.

No Championship team covered more ground last weekend than Pompey at Elland Road, and more of the same was evident against a foe who were pushing Manchester City to the limit and sharing eight goals with Newcastle not too along ago.

The pre-game fireworks were a suitable metaphor for a basketball match of an opening, with the game’s narrative spinning on Luton keeper Thomas Kaminski’s 32nd-minute dismissal.

By that time Will Norris had the man-of-the-match plaudits wrapped up with a trio of outstanding saves - the third of which was firmly in the Gordon Banks category, as he flung himself across goal to repel the disbelieving Elijah Adebayo’s close-range header.

Pompey had carried their own threat, however, and Conor Shaughnessy thought he’d opened his Championship account with a header from Andre Dozzell’s free-kick, before the tireless Paddy Lane had guided a first-time effort narrowly over the bar.

Then came Kaminski’s rash felling of Lane which brought the inevitable outcome, shortly after the Belgian was cautioned for his role in what referee John Busby deemed was time-wasting antics with outstanding defender Teden Mengi.

Rob Edwards may be a friend of Pompey, but Rich Hughes’ former Forest Green sidekick is not in the habit of gifting points. Thus it was two deep banks of four Pompey were invited to break down, with striker Carlton Morris sacrificed.

For all the bouquets afforded the Blues so far this term, a legitimate brickbat has been their inability to carve openings of note in the past two outings.

With the man advantage for over an hour that was the criticism against the Hatters, with progress to the final third then met with poor execution.

The industrious Christian Saydee was found a few yards off crosses into the box, before the striker’s seemingly inexplicable final contribution to dummy the lively Sammy Silvera’s cross when front and centre.

The explanation arrived via a call from Callum Lang, as the wrecking ball attacked the near post and the Scouser peeled off behind him. More than one observer noted Colby Bishop wouldn’t have been so generous sharing the opportunity.

So a point it was to be and two points from a couple of opening games, when even the Fratton optimists were fearing no return.

That accounted, in part, for Mousinho’s upbeat demeanour in the final reckoning, even as the Pompey boss rued a dearth of attacking quality.

It’s no secret, too, a transfer breakthrough is fuelling optimism which felt in short supply a couple of weeks ago, as Alex Robertson opted for Cardiff with a fee agreed with Manchester City for the much-loved Aussie starlet.

Not many have fallen by the wayside, but the belief is there the cavalry are arriving to supplement this hardy band of troops in time for Middlesbrough.

We can then move closer to judgement on the relative strength of this group, against the men who were celebrating on Southsea Common a couple of months ago.

What cannot be debated, however, is the same relentless and unflinching qualities which put Pompey in the Championship remain.