Why Marcus Harness is adamant Portsmouth are destined for the play-offs

Newly-appointed head coach Danny Cowley crowned his Fratton Park arrival with a 2-1 triumph over Ipswich.

It was Harness who bagged the 72nd-minute winner – with his first in 26 league appearances.

His goal-scoring contribution over the Tractor Boys lifts Pompey into seventh place, one point adrift of the play-offs with two games in hand.

And with 11 fixtures remaining, the 25-year-old has told the Fratton faithful to bank on the Blues qualifying.

Harness told The News: ‘We were always going to be in and around the play-offs – and I’m still confident.

‘There is no doubt in my mind that we are going to get into the play-offs at least, so let’s take these last 11 games and get as much as we can out of them.

‘Saturday is a great start. You can never know what can happen in football.

‘I don’t know the maths for the automatics, but we can at least get into the play-offs and hopefully take the next step from the last two years and win promotion.

‘I just feel we are too good not to make the play-offs. We have dropped out of it now, and I might be wrong, but I can’t see us not being there at the end of the season.

‘I am not saying that’s a given and I’m not going to be complacent, but I just feel that’s where we are in this league and where we will end up at the very least.

‘We have a chance, a massive chance, and we’re going to give it our all.’

Heading into Saturday’s clash, the Blues had gone six games without victory in all competitions.

It has been a dreadful run which contributed to the dismissal of Kenny Jackett and prompted widespread criticism of the players

Harness added: ‘Everyone gives their all, even if people say it doesn’t look that way sometimes.

‘Everyone in that dressing room cares, everyone wants to do well, we are pushing in the same direction.

‘But we are all human at the end of the day and when you are on a downward spiral and in a rut, you need something to kick you out of it.

‘Hopefully after Saturday, everyone is uplifted and hopeful for the future.’

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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