Portsmouth boss Kenny Jackett: Forget being in top six - it's all about the points

Instead the Blues boss is focused on reaping the points as the League One promotion race heads towards a photo finish.

A 2-0 success at Lincoln last night means for the first time this season Pompey are as high as sixth.

In mid-October they were positioned 17th, with Jackett under fire from some sections of supporters.

Now the Blues are six points off leaders Rotherham with two matches in hand, such is the congested nature of the battle for promotion.

And for Jackett, his side’s arrival in sixth spot is nothing to get carried away with.

He said: ‘It’s not really something that worries me particularly.

‘I look at points totals and if you are looking at points totals for the top half of the division, it is very tight – and has been all season.

‘We are in a good position, a position where all that matters is how we play between now and the end of the season.

‘We’ve had a good run and given ourselves a chance and the players should have some confidence as well.

‘For us, like any of the promotion sides, over the next few months we need a bit of luck with injuries, we want to keep the side settled now and in a good rhythm.

‘The top six is not something I worry about too much. If you are 15 points off the top or something like that, anything over 10 is tough, it really is.

‘The points total for quite a number of clubs – and for us – is competitive, it’s tight.

‘Going into the final three months, on Monday it will be 13 weeks left of the regular season, so we will have to keep people fit and keep working hard.’

Ronan Curtis and John Marquis scored the goals which earned Pompey a Sincil Bank victory.

It was the club’s first visit to Lincoln since February 1983 – and turned into a happy occasion for those 1,154 travelling supporters.

The outcome also marked a seventh straight win as the Blues now focus on Saturday’s visit of seventh-placed Sunderland.

Jackett added: ‘At times last night we did look like a good team, particularly in the second half.

‘There are three promotion places to get into the championship, as ever. We want to do our best to try to get one of those.

‘It is still open for us, all three spots are, they are for a number of teams, though. I have said all season, it’s an open division and it still is.’