Boss looks ahead to Wycombe trip
It took a final day victory to preserve Wycombe’s Football League status two seasons ago.
So the club’s rise under manager Gareth Ainsworth since then has been remarkable.
The Chairboys narrowly missed out on automatic promotion last term and then suffered penalty-shoot out heartache at Wembley in the play-off final.
They are currently four points below Pompey in ninth spot and Paul Cook is anticipating a tough test when his side visit Adams Park this weekend.
The Blues boss said: “Wycombe have got a very good manager, who’s very strong and driven – that’s reflected in his team.
“They’re a fantastic side and they’ve come a long way under Gareth’s tenure to be where they are now.
“It shows what people can do if given time and it’s one of the first fixtures you look for when they’re announced.
“I was expecting back then that this would be a very difficult game and my opinions on that haven’t changed.
“Both teams will want to win badly, so hopefully it should be an entertaining contest for those people going to the game.
“Football’s all about momentum and we’ve gained a bit of that this week from a tough trip to Carlisle and a difficult match against York.
“There is a lot written about every result and whether it means we will go up or not, but as I keep saying, we just keep going.
“Our lowest league position this season has been sixth, we’ve lost only twice and now we’ve got the best goal difference.”
Pompey currently have three players walking a suspension tightrope on four yellow cards.
But Ben Davies, Christian Burgess and Kyle Bennett only need to get through one more game, as an amnesty for five yellow cards kicks in after this weekend.
Cook said: “We brought Ben off on Tuesday night for that reason because we felt – with all due respect – that the game was won.
“If we can get through the weekend without picking up any suspensions then that’s great, but if not then we’ve got a fantastic squad.”
Watch Cook’s thoughts on the game below or subscribe to Pompey PlayerHD for extended interviews with the manager and Danny Hollands.