From the despair of QPR to preserving their Championship status just six games later, it has been another emotionally exhausting season for Pompey.
Certainly few among the Fratton faithful wouldn’t have anticipated staying up with two games to spare after that 6-1 hammering at Loftus Road.
Still, John Mousinho has once again overseen survival, steering the Blues into 18th position and collecting one more point than last term.
And here are Neil Allen’s Pompey player ratings for the season…
13. Ibane Bowat - 7
(18 games, 2 goals) Having missed the entirety of the 2024-25 season with a serious knee injury, it has been tough for Bowat to force his way into first-team consideration, yet he weighed in with two priceless goals. Winners against fellow relegation rivals Blackburn and Leicester, both at Fratton Park, were crucial, particularly the latter during the run-in. Also showed his versatility by playing left-back in addition to his favoured centre-half role. Never let anyone down and was outstanding in the final match of the season against Birmingham, when he spent the first half at centre-back and the second at left-back. | Graham Hunt/ProSportsImages
14. Hayden Matthews - 6.5
(14 games, 0 goals) Make an immediate impact at Pompey in the 2024-25 season following his January arrival, until injury cruelly intervened. Although he returned in time for 2025 pre-season, Matthews has struggled to return to those giddy heights, which is hugely frustrating. An ankle injury at Bristol City on New Year’s Day contributed to the Australian making just two appearances in 2026 - both in the final two matches. Before then, he had made the squad just twice in 21 games. Now regarded as Pompey’s fifth-choice centre-half, which is massively disappointing. | Alun Roberts/ProSportsImages
15. Josh Knight - 6
(16 games, 0 goals) A frustrating first Fratton Park season for the centre-half, whose back injury ensured he didn’t play again after a 1-0 home defeat to Bristol City on November 29. Indeed, Knight wasn’t even registered in the Football League 25-man squad for the second-half of the campaign. Although comfortable on the ball, he often struggled to dominate Pompey’s penalty box in defensive situations, albeit perhaps a consequence of his back issue. Certainly he failed to convince the Fratton faithful and finished the season as sixth-choice centre-half. | Graham Hunt/ProSportsImages
16. Aji Alese - 5
(1 game, 0 goal) Signed on loan from Sunderland to bolster Pompey’s injury-hit defence, only to get injured himself after appearing in the 86th minute at Preston as a substitute. Subsequently returned to Sunderland with a quad injury which ruled him out for the rest of the season - and he never kicked a ball for Pompey again. | Alun Roberts/ProSportsImages