‘Honestly a positive’: Portsmouth boss’ message to Bolton Wanderers, Derby County, Barnsley, Peterborough United & Co ahead of promotion showdowns

John Mousinho believes a Pompey run-in littered with showdowns against promotion rivals is good news for their Championship ambitions.

And the Blues boss feels his side’s record this season underlines why he reckons facing the rest of the top five over the final 10 games is a positive.

Mousinho’s League One leaders take on the four teams immediately below them before the campaign is out, with a trip to Peterborough on March 16 preceding visits from Barnsley (March 23) and Derby (April 2), before they go to Bolton on April 13. 

While Bolton started a similar run against the top five sides in a 2-2 draw at Barnsley on Tuesday night, the in-form Tykes face just one immediate rival along with Derby (two) and Peterborough (two). 

Unlike previous seasons, Mousinho’s side have shown they are more than capable of getting the upper hand against their biggest threats, however, drawing at Derby in September and beating the rest of the top seven.

In contrast, three of the bottom six sides have taken points off Pompey, along with a number of tight 1-0 defeats.

Mousinho said: ‘We honestly see it (playing the sides at the top) as a positive.

‘Earlier in the season we had an August which, on paper, everyone looked at and thought we’d take quite a few points and it was easier on paper than a really, really tough September.

‘Then the way it played out it ended up being the reverse. We struggled in August and ended up struggling against Cheltenham and Stevenage. We ended up taking a point against Bristol Rovers, a really narrow win against Exeter at home.

‘We beat Leyton Orient away 4-0, but it certainly wasn’t a 4-0. Then in September we came into our best football playing Derby away, Barnsley away, Wigan away and we played Peterborough at home.

‘All of those we won apart from the Derby game, where we took a point. We’ve been pretty good.’

As ever, the season’s run-in is certain to throw up plenty of surprise results with teams scrapping for their lives at the bottom of the table.

At the top, Mousinho feels his team know the terrain they are tackling, with Barnsley on a powerful run of one lost in 17 and others already proving why they are in contention for promotion.

Mousinho added: ‘If we ever want to achieve anything we have to play the big boys and come out with results. We have to and we have done so far this season.

‘There’s no sides we’re facing now we haven’t already played, and we’re going into it with a lot of confidence and a huge amount of respect for what these sides have achieved.

‘There are some really good sides up there in fantastic form - we have to do our very best to make sure we get a result out of them.’