The Bolton and Derby aces deemed the best in League One by top Portsmouth duo

No doubt he could separate the under-rated from the over-rated and the also-rans from the star men.

Now, as a head coach, be believes one stands out above the rest as far as this season’s League One goes.

And it’s someone who threatened to spoil his unbeaten record as Blues boss at Fratton Park on Tuesday night – Dion Charles.

The former Accrington man notched his 18th goal of the season to hand the promotion-chasing Trotters a 48th-minute lead at Fratton Park.

To many, his predatory strike in front of the travelling Bolton fans in the Milton End suggested another disappointing Blues result at the hands of a top-half of-the-table side was in the offing.

Yet jumping to such conclusions proved the wrong thing to do as Mousinho’s side responded with three second-half goals of their own to send the Fratton faithful home happy.

The Blues boss will also have been delighted to witness Charles being substituted on 79 minutes as opposite number Ian Evatt attempted to stop the momentum built up by Ryley Towler’s 73rd-minute equaliser.

Yet he doesn’t feel that was a reflection of the striker’s talent – more a sign of the difficulties both Towler and Sean Raggett posed the Northern Ireland international.

And it didn’t cloud his judgement when asked at the Chichester Portsmouth FC Supporters’ Club on Thursday night who he felt was the current best player in the third tier.

It’s normally a title bestowed on Sheffield Wednesday favourite Barry Bannon.

But Mousinho, who wasn’t allowed to include a Pompey player, insisted Charles was his current king of the division.

‘I’ll go for a bit of recency bias and say Dion Charles is right up there in terms of centre-forwards,’ he said.

‘The fact that he scored against us – that’s fine. But he sort of had a quiet night apart from that and ended up coming off as a sub.

‘I’ve always had an admiration for him and the way that he plays and what he’s done for Bolton this year.

‘He’s one that stands out in my memory.’

Sporting director Rich Hughes was also asked the question – and in his mind the answer was simple: Derby County’s Conor Hourihane.

The 32-year-old Republic of Ireland international has spent the majority of his career at Championship or Premier League level, playing for the likes of Aston Villa, Swansea and Sheffield United.

Yet he found himself on the move to Derby in the summer, tasked with getting the Rams back up to the Championship at the first time of asking.

With Derby currently fifth in the table and Hourihane recording seven goals and seven assists in his 31 games to date, that goal remains a possibility.

He was unable to inflict any damage on the Blues when they drew 0-0 with Paul Warne’s side back in November.

That could of course change when Pompey travel to Pride Park on April 29.

But with Hughes an admirer, no doubt a plan will be in place to keep Hourihane quiet.

‘In terms of right now, I’d go Connor Hourihane,’ said the Blues chief.

‘I think he’s up there and I think he playing below a level – but that’s because Derby are probably being a Championship club in terms of structure and size.’