‘Not going to beat around the bush’: Portsmouth dressing room signal Bolton Wanderers intent ahead of top-of-the-table showdown

Pompey’s Monday night showdown with Bolton will have a big outcome on the League One promotion battle.

That’s the belief from the Blues dressing room, ahead of the top-of-the-table clash with Ian Evatt’s high fliers at Fratton Park.

And Blues winger Paddy Lane vowed his side go into the Sky-televised battle with their confidence flowing, after bouncing back from their 27-game unbeaten run ending with back-to-back successes on the road.

John Mousinho’s side reclaimed their place at the summit with a dominant 3-0 win over Northampton last weekend. That followed on from Wanderers knocking Pompey off their perch, after the 4-0 reverse against Blackpool.

That sets things up perfectly for Monday’s clash at Fratton Park, against a side unbeaten in 11 games in all competitions - winning 10 of those meetings.

Bolton’s fire power has been starkly evident in that time, with eight goals scored against Manchester United under-21s and a 7-0 league annihilation of Exeter in that sequence. Furthermore, five goals were stuck past Harrogate last week in the FA Cup, along with two four-goal salvos against Solihull Moors and Wycombe.

Lane is clear, however, Pompey’s own morale is bubbling ahead of two of the division’s heavy-hitters go toe to toe.

He said: ‘We knew full well a win at Northampton would put us top. We knew going into that game that we would go home seeing us at the top, as will the people who travelled to back us.

‘Blackpool beat us and they turned Blackpool over, so they are no mugs - but we went there and delivered a professional performance at a place where it’s not easy to go.

‘Now there’s a big game against Bolton.

‘It’s a big game, we know it’s a big game - we’re not going to beat around the bush. We’re full of confidence going into it and we’ve had a good week building up to it.

‘These are big games and it will be vital come the end of the season. We’re just looking forward it really. After Blackpool we wanted to kick on and get six points to go into the Bolton game with full confidence - that’s what we’re doing.’