Striker hails title success
Pompey were very much title outsiders going into Saturday’s final round of fixtures.
But they finished the weekend by holding the League Two trophy aloft on Southsea Common in front of thousands of fans.
The Blues did their job in style by thrashing Cheltenham 6-1 in front of yet another full house at Fratton Park.
And with Plymouth and Doncaster both failing to win, that was enough to secure top spot for Paul Cook’s side.
It was the first time they had been at the summit all season and Conor Chaplin hailed a miraculous achievement.
The striker said: “It’s mad. I remember being interviewed after winning promotion at Notts County and I didn’t really have anything to say.
“What’s happened now, though, is a minor miracle. But I honestly remember telling my family on Saturday morning that I think it’s meant for us.
“We hadn’t been top of the table all season, but we made sure that we were top when it really mattered.
“It’s not really fully sunk in yet to be truthful and it’s probably going to be some time yet before it does.
“What we’ve achieved is absolutely amazing and I still have to pinch myself because I can’t believe that it actually happened.
“The group of lads we’ve got here are unbelievable and we’ve stuck together as a team through the tough times.
“We’ve got experienced guys in the side like Michael Doyle and David Forde and that’s really helped us.”