Boss cautious ahead of Yeovil test
Pompey have turned around the last bend and are heading down the home straight.
But Paul Cook knows that there is still plenty of time for them to be caught in the race for automatic promotion.
His side go into Saturday’s clash with 19th-placed Yeovil having won five of the previous six matches in League Two.
And Cook is not looking past facing a Glovers outfit they have failed to beat in their past four meetings.
The Blues boss said: “There are six games to go and I know very well that football can kick you in the teeth if you’re not careful.
“Our record will be gauged after 46 games and hopefully it will be good enough to get us where we want to be.
“It’s a boring message, but it’s all about repetition. We’re in a strong position and a win would get us nearer to where we want to be, but it’s no foregone conclusion.
“We had the draw at their place in the fog and I remember drawing both games against them last season.
“Darren Way has done really well and I presume they’ll be looking to finish the season as high as they can.
“They’ve got a lot of dangerous players in their squad and it will certainly be a difficult game, that’s for sure.”
Noel Hunt could miss the rest of the campaign after dislocating his shoulder at Hartlepool to join fellow striker Eoin Doyle on the sidelines.
Cook said: “Noel needs to see a specialist, so it looks like the minimum he’s going to be out for is four weeks.
“It could be the end of his season, although if we were in the play-offs he could be back involved – so let’s hope he’s not involved, but for the right reasons!
“He’s a fantastic professional, who has played international football and won promotions, so it’s beneficial to have him around the club.
“While we’ll miss what he can bring on the pitch, he’ll certainly still be an influential presence off it.
“But we’ll keep battling away with what we’ve got and it’s important to focus on the lads who are fit.
“Kal Naismith and Gary Roberts certainly didn’t do a lot wrong up at Hartlepool, so we could use them again, while Nicke Kabamba’s scoring for the reserves and we all know what Conor Chaplin can do.”
Watch Cook’s thoughts on the game below or subscribe to Pompey PlayerHD for full pre-match video content.