Who needs win more, where expectation lies and Portsmouth skipper’s Derby County battle cry

But the Blues skipper acknowledged his team’s powerful home form will place an expectation on John Mousinho’s side to deliver three points at Fratton Park this afternoon.

And Poole admitted the stakes are high for both teams, when it comes to the pressure cooker environment of the Championship relegation dogfight.

The next chapter of that battle unfolds today, with the visitors upwardly mobile while Pompey are coming off back-to-back defeats on the road.

Poole feels the three points between the sides in the table naturally means John Eustace’s side need the win more than the his team, with five games remaining.

After the Coventry defeat, Poole is champing at the bit to get back on the pitch as he conveyed the anticipation in the Pompey dressing room at the clash.

Poole said: ‘I’m so glad we’ve got this game and there’s not an international break or anything like that.

‘It can’t come quickly enough, because we needed a game asap after Coventry and what a game it is - bring it on.

‘The stakes are high but they will maybe be feeling they need to win more than us, while we’re at home and we’re expected to win.

‘So it’s set up for a good game, but at this stage it’s in our hands and that is what we want, so bring it on.’

Derby County ‘given themselves chance’

Poole feels Derby have now given themselves a much-improved chance of survival off the back of one loss in six, with a four-game winning run in that period.

Fortress Fratton has done a similar job for Pompey with two defeats in 14 at PO4, while four wins out of five in February and March has also been significant.

Poole though was floored after the late Coventry winner on Wednesday night following a huge effort from his team, with the Wales international aware of the need to reward supporters after that disappointment.

He added: ‘Their form has picked up and they’ve definitely given themselves a chance.

‘We wouldn’t be in this position that we’re in now, if it wasn’t for our home form. We’re expected to win, so let’s go out and pick up those three points.

‘What a game and what a game it is for the fans, we’re in this for days like these.

‘We want to be in this league next season and, from where we were a couple of months ago to where we are now, I think we deserve it. So bring it on

‘We were so close to giving the fans a really good trip at Coventry, so we’re sorry about that - but get down to Fratton for this one and hopefully we can pay you back.’

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