Why in-form Portsmouth will create history if they claim a Tranmere triumph

Certainly Kenny Jackett will be banking on a case of third-time lucky having previously come close to claiming the feat.

Saturday’s triumph over Sunderland represented an eighth-straight win in all competitions for the Blues.

In terms of Pompey’s 99-year Football League presence, it equals the club record set by Harry Redknapp’s Division One-winning side of 2002-03 – and Jackett himself twice last season.

From August 17 until September 17, 2002, the Blues collected seven league victories and another in the League Cup, totalling eight consecutive successes during a campaign which would earn a Premier League place.

That achievement was matched last season from November 3 until December 8, 2018, when Jackett’s troops registered four in League One, two in the Checkatrade Trophy and two in the FA Cup.

The opportunity to break the record was spurned following a 2-1 Fratton Park defeat to Charlton.

Incredibly, Pompey equalled the feat once more later during that 2018-19 campaign, this time from March 13 until April 22, 2019.

Those eight-straight wins consisted of seven in League One and the Checkatrade Trophy final, when the Blues triumphed in a Wembley penalty shoot-out over Sunderland.

That run ended with a highly-credible 1-1 league draw at the Stadium of Light, nonetheless the point wasn’t enough to aid their late surge for the automatic promotion spots.

Meanwhile, a return of seven-in-a-row was recorded under Terry Fenwick during the 1996-97 campaign, including the 3-2 FA Cup success at Leeds.

Bobby Campbell's Division Three winners of 1982-83 also amassed seven-straight victories, all arriving in league action, from January 22 until February 26, 1983.

Still, this current Pompey side are only the fourth in the club’s Football League history to register eight consecutive wins in all competitions.

It has been in progress since FA Cup victory at Fleetwood on January 4 – and so far consists of four League One successes, two in the Leasing.com Trophy and two in the FA Cup.

Victory at relegation-threatened Tranmere on Saturday would claim an outright club record for Jackett and this rejuvenated Pompey team.