Stats show little margin for error as Portsmouth bid to finally end nine-year Championship wait

Yet at 5pm on Saturday afternoon, the Blues hadn’t been pegged back at all in the table.

Still, at the halfway stage of the season, Kenny Jackett’s side sat fifth on 41 points from 23 games.

The adage is that promotion’s never won when 50 per cent of fixtures have been played – but can be lost.

Look at Fleetwood, for example. They reached the play-off semi-finals last season and were expected to be challenging again.

But placed 14th, another year in League One beckons.

Pompey’s Championship bid remains firmly alive, with the bookies still having them as second favourites.

However, surely even the high-rollers would hesitate them as an odds-on 10/11 shot at this stage.

The Blues scarcely represent value for money if you were to have a flutter.

Against the backdrop of failing to achieve the feat in the past three seasons, there are better punts around like the overpriced Doncaster (11/4).

During the recent six-match unbeaten streak, Pompey were starting to look like genuine top-two contenders. Hull, Peterborough and Ipswich were all put to the sword with ease.

Confidence after the successive losses to Hull and Lincoln has abated somewhat, with the Jackett Outers appearing from the woodwork.

This is the wrong time to be sacking managers, though. Defeats to promotion rivals happen to every side that harbours ambitions of going up at some point.

But having lost six times already this campaign, Pompey can ill-afford many more slip-ups.

Crunching the numbers in the past five seasons (not including last term because of the curtailment), the team that have finished in the top two lost an average of 7.3 matches.

If that stat rings true again, there’s little margin for error. Reverses to the likes of Wigan and Blackpool must be a thing of the past.

What has been refreshing for supporters this season is the change of tack from Jackett.

Ditching his staunchly-favoured 4-2-3-1 formation to a 4-4-2 system has given Pompey more of an attacking style rather than the previously pragmatic approach.

For that to bear fruit, however, the Blues’ forwards have to recapture their verve and vim.

Marcus Harness was drawing comparisons to Jamal Lowe when he started the campaign like a rocket, culminating in a hat-trick at Burton.

However, his influence has subsided of late, having failed to score a league goal since October 27.

Ronan Curtis’ effort can never be faulted but his threat down the left has also decreased.

And after Michael Jacobs’ impressive start following his move, his knee injury seems to have taken its toll since returning.

Jackett will be hoping the January recruits will provide the added impetus to edge Pompey towards the average of two points per game required for promotion.

Charlie Daniels brings a wealth of Premier League experience, George Byers is a Championship performer and Harvey White’s highly regarded at Spurs.

On paper, Pompey possess a squad with the prowess to reach the second tier. On their day, they can sink any team.

Now in the second half of the season, what’s needed is consistency and not frivolously throwing away points.