Boss not going overboard after Mansfield win
It was a late Fratton flurry that saw Pompey move up a place in the League Two standings.
Three goals in the final few minutes against Mansfield was enough to see them leapfrog Luton into fourth spot.
Gary Roberts had already opened the scoring from the penalty spot when the visitors were reduced to nine men.
Kyle Howkins and Alex Iacovitti were both dismissed and the Stags were made to pay, as Noel Hunt doubled the advantage before Carl Baker added a brace.
But Paul Cook is refusing to get carried away on the back of one victory with so much action still to come.
The Blues boss said: “It’s three points and a clean sheet, but now we just have to move on to the next game.
“Sometimes too much is made about every performance when it’s a long campaign and there are 30 matches still to go.
“We’re paid to win games of football and throughout 90 minutes you’ve experienced all the emotions of being involved with Pompey in the past few years.
“You heard the crowd clapping, singing, booing and going through anguish – all in one match.
“Mansfield offered a threat throughout the afternoon and even when they were down to nine men, they still tried to get men forward.
“No fixture is easy, but there are a lot of managers in the stand these days that perhaps think it is.
“The reality is that we’re fourth in the league and doing our best to make sure we get out of this division.
“We had a bad result in the cup last Saturday, but around that period we’ve also won three games and kept three clean sheets, so there’s a glimmer of light in there.
“It can be mentally draining here because of the demands that there are at this club, but it’s my job to manage those expectations.”
Watch Cook’s thoughts on the game below or subscribe to Pompey PlayerHD for full post-match content.