The Blues are back - Portsmouth's first month in the Championship rated

Certainly, a three-point haul from Pompey’s opening month back at this level can be viewed as a little fortunate considering the context of battling draws at Leeds and Middlesbrough.

On the flip side, the Blues could well be basking with a healthy seven points on the board entering September had they not relinquished winning leads in dying moments.

Indeed, these are the fine lines - and never more so apparent than during an eventful opening four matches to the campaign.

It is entirely possible to embrace Pompey’s luck and also curse their misfortune - sometimes in the same match - when assessing August performances.

Considering the brutal fixture list drawn up for the opening seven league games, it was difficult to picture where any point was coming from during a far from gentle reintroduction.

So to total three points having locked horns with three sides anticipated to finish in the Championship top six, of which two of those draws have been away from Fratton Park, is unexpected and should be embraced.

It’s just Sunderland which sticks in the throat, representing the outlier and refusing to keep in kilt with other early-season displays from John Mousinho’s men.

Aside from the fact the best team won, with the Black Cats cantering to a 3-1 success, the match was surprisingly low-key and devoid of a sustained tempo, quite unlike the breathless action provided by other encounters.

The Blues weren’t particularly bad, they have performed far, far worse in this summer’s pre-season, yet they barely threatened the opposition goalkeeper and only livened up when the game was effectively over after 56 minutes and Sunderland were content to sit back.

They will improve, undoubtedly the makeshift defence will be upgraded once the many injured return and Jordan Williams can revert to his normal position. The likelihood is we won’t even see that back four again.

Regis Le Bris’ team excepted, there has been plenty to be enthused about by other Pompey displays during a solid beginning to their long-awaited Championship reunion.

Admittedly, the Blues could have been on the receiving end of batterings at Leeds and then Middlesbrough, yet they demonstrated remarkable resilience, gutsy fighting spirit and impressive team ethic to crawl away from both with draws.

The ferocious opening 10 minutes at Elland Road were painful viewing, the second half at the Riverside which saw the visitors imprisoned in their own penalty area was an uncomfortable spectacle - but Pompey, to their credit, survived.

Had it not been for Brenden Aaronson’s 96th-minute strike, there could have been a Blues victory at Leeds. Had Tommy Conway not intervened with a 90th-minute penalty, it could have been a triumph at Middlesbrough.

So, so close, although, in all honesty, both occasions were points gained rather than two dropped, irrespective of the heartbreaking circumstances.

As for Luton, after negotiating a tricky opening, the Blues grew into the match and, when Thomas Kaminski was dismissed on 31 minutes, there would even have been fancy thoughts of a shock win.

Unfortunately, Pompey lacked the cutting-edge precision to capitalise on the Hatters’ numerical disadvantage, finishing in a goalless draw amid nagging doubts of what could have been.

Still, it was a first clean sheet of the campaign and a handy point against one of the pre-season contenders to challenge for a swift return to the Premier League.

Overall, much to improve on, but reasons to be cheerful, particularly with the walking wounded nearing return and summer recruits beginning to settle into their new surroundings.

As it stands after a mere four matches, six clubs are presently below Mousinho’s men in the Championship table. If that remains the case come May, the Fratton faithful will be delighted.