Portsmouth promotion rivals praise unsung hero as Wigan Athletic confirm tough injury blow

After a tense 2-2 draw with promotion rivals Derby County during the midweek fixtures, Portsmouth returned to action at Fratton Park and banked three points against Shrewsbury Town. While Pompey are not mathematically champions yet, they remain the runaway League One leaders after an impressive season.

That doesn’t mean the rest of the table is decided though. There is still a tight battle for the second automatic promotion position and clubs continue to fight for a top six finish as they eye the highly-anticipated play-offs.

Here’s a roundup of some of the latest headlines on Portsmouth’s League One rivals following another entertaining weekend of fixtures.

Bolton boss praises unsung hero

Bolton Wanderers remain firmly in the race to secure the second automatic promotion spot at the end of the season. Their latest 2-0 win over Bristol Rovers keeps them hot on the heels of second-placed Derby, with just one point between the two.

Bolton boss Ian Evatt has praised 37-year-old Cameron Jerome, who came off the bench and won a stoppage time penalty to secure their three points. The manager believes the forward, who joined the club in January on a short-term deal, is one of his side’s unsung heroes.

“I will keep banging the same drum, he deserves our respect,” Evatt told The Bolton News. “He is a big part of the dressing room and helps us on and off the pitch. Sometimes the supporters don’t necessarily see the work he does with the other strikers and the rest of the team.

“He has been around the block, he understands what it takes to be promoted and is still able to do the job, which is really important. He came on today, was a real handful and got us a penalty which sealed it for us.”

Wigan dealt big injury blow

Wigan Athletic manager Shaun Maloney has revealed the extent of the injury to Luke Chambers, who is on loan with the Latics until the end of the season. Since making the move from Merseyside in January, the 19-year-old had featured in every single match for Wigan but after picking up an issue with England U20s during the latest international break, he has been forced to the sidelines.

"Luke's had a very hectic few weeks, and we've been trying to manage him as best we can. Unfortunately I don't think he'll be back until the very last game of the season, the same sort of timeframe as Josh Stones,” Maloney recently revealed.