Pundit sees legs in Portsmouth play-off chase - with Plymouth game key and last-day trip to Sheffield Wednesday a potential 'big game'

That’s the verdict of Blues legend-turned-pundit Guy Whittingham, after witnessing Danny Cowley’s side extend their unbeaten run to eight games at Portman Road on Saturday.

But the one-time Pompey manager also stressed there’s no time for the team to rest on their laurels after their battling display against the league’s big-spenders.

There’s even more tough challenges on the horizon for the in-form Blues, who are still ninth in the table and seven points adrift of the play-off places with 10 games remaining.

The immediate one to look towards is Tuesday night’s trip to sixth-placed Plymouth – Pompey’s third away game inside eight days.

But if the Fratton Park outfit can get something at Home Park – preferably a win, but even another draw – then Whittingham believes the momentum keeps rolling for what could potentially be a ‘big game’ against Sheffield Wednesday on the final day of the season.

Speaking about Pompey’s play-off chances on BBC Solent after Saturday’s stalemate at Portman Road, he said: ‘Well, if you look at those (other) results – Plymouth, Sheffield Wednesday, Oxford and Sunderland all winning – they were playing against teams that weren’t really in the play-off fight, so you half expect them to win anyway.

‘Portsmouth and Ipswich are both still in it after getting a point.

‘Now if you go to Plymouth and get a point, that’s still a decent recent. If you get a win then Saturday’s point is a big point.

‘Portsmouth have still got those (top) teams to play, apart from Oxford and Sunderland, they’ve got Sheffield Wednesday on the last day of the season – you know that could be a big game.

‘We know we’ve got Wycombe coming up, Bolton coming up, a lot of big games, so there’s still plenty of games to make a difference.

‘I’d say the Cowleys and the squad should be pleased with a point against a good Ipswich side, a very good Ipswich side who were beginning to make good moves in the table as well.

‘So pleased with a point, but you have to forget that quickly.

‘Plymouth is the next one and hopefully three points, but there’s been a lot of travelling in this week – Crewe away, Ipswich away, Plymouth away.

‘That’s a lot of mileage and it depends now how you get energy back in the legs of those players because it is a small squad.’