But hopes of a top six spot had been nullified after they could only manage a draw against Oxford United in midweek.
This saw the Fratton faithful heavily criticise a number of John Mousinho’s squad as the Blues now embark on a seventh consecutive campaign in League One.
And the head coach rang the changes against Accrington on Saturday, which saw Harry Jewitt-White handed his EFL debut, while there were also starts for Di’Shon Bernard, Ryley Towler and Paddy Lane.
But there were a number of notable absentees from the starting XI and match-day squad, with the Blues boss using the contest to assess a number of players ahead of a busy summer.
We’ve taken a look at the standout omissions from Saturday’s starting side against Accrington and what it could mean for them.
1. Notable Pompey absences
From left: Denver Hume, Louis Thompson, Jay Mingi, Ryan Tunnicliffe. Photo: National World
2. Ryan Tunnicliffe
Mousinho revealed after the game the decision to omit Tunnicliffe was to be ‘forward focused’, with Jewitt-White handed a start in the midfield. The 30-year-old wan’t included in the 18-man squad, which has caused plenty of speculation from fans on social media surrounding his future. His current Blues deal comes to a close in the summer. Photo: Jason Brown
3. Reeco Hackett
The head coach has insisted Hackett must kick-on and become a 'front-line winger' for Pompey. Since his arrival from Bromley in January 2020, the forward has struggled for consistent starts at Fratton Park and branded his recent form as ‘bang average.’ The winger wasn’t in the match-day squad on Saturday as Mousinho handed Lane his first start following a hamstring injury , which could see him favoured ahead of Hackett. Photo: Simon Davies
4. Kieron Freeman
The right-back is yet to feature under Mousinho and has made the match-day squad on three occasions. With his contract running out at the end of the season, it will be no surprise to see him depart for free this summer. Photo: Paul Thompson