More than two months into their campaign, Pompey Women have made a steady start so far.
Three wins and four losses – with no draws – means the Blues currently sit eighth in the National League South standings.
They found a new home in Baffins Milton Rovers’ PMC Stadium over the summer and four of the opening six games were staged there.
And they began the season in scintillating fashion, with a comprehensive 6-0 victory at basement club C&K Basildon.
Successive home matches followed and Gillingham were the visitors for the first competitive fixture at the PMC Stadium.
Shannon Albuery – now at Yeovil – Katie James, Jade Bradley and Daisy McLachlan all found the target in appalling conditions on the south coast.
Pompey looked to continue their positive start when Chichester visited in the first weekend of September, but the hosts were unable to stop the Green Army in the battle for three points.
Early pacesetters Coventry – who are still yet to taste defeat in the league – ventured south the following week.
All of the goals arrived in the first half, with Helen Dermody and Jade Brook scoring for the visitors, and Rachel Panting for the beaten Blues.
The summer had seen a plethora of changes to the women’s football structure, with several sides adopting the ‘National League’ tag.
Pompey have already come up against three of the newcomers in Watford, MK Dons and Plymouth in the early stages of the campaign.
The former had been a Super League Two outfit since reforming back in 2014, only to suffer relegation last term.
And the Golden Girls travelled to the PMC Stadium last month, earning all three points from an action-packed encounter.
The Blues led twice – through McLachlan and Hannah Geer – in a closely-fought contest. But Anaisa Harney’s double, Katie O’Leary’s strike and a late goal from Wales’ all-time record scorer Helen Ward ensured the points headed back to Hertfordshire.
They then came up against Plymouth a few weeks ago and a battling performance was not enough, with Jessie Jones’ brace and Kayley Lane securing victory for Argyle.
It has not all been bad news against these sides, however, with Pompey managing a 3-1 victory at Stadium MK.
Charly Wright’s apparent cross had given the home side an interval lead, but there was a spirited display after the break, with Panting, McLachlan and Katie James turning the game on its head.
Away from the league, defeat to Chichester meant Pompey would compete in the National League Plate this term.
And they cruised to a 9-0 win over Poole in the first round of the newly-named competition, only to then exit at the hands of Keynsham, courtesy of a long-range stoppage-time strike from Ellie Curson.
Jay Sadler’s side will also compete in the Hampshire Cup – a tournament they are used to achieving success in.
The club lifted the trophy for the 14th time back in May following a 5-0 thrashing of Southampton at Alton FC, having seen off Winchester, Warsash and Southampton Saints en route, without conceding once.
They will start their latest defence at home to Eastleigh in November after the majority of last season’s cup fixtures came on the road.
McLachlan currently leads the scoring charts with seven strikes so far, followed closely by Panting on five.
The former’s first time effort at MK Dons and the latter’s fierce shot against Coventry, along with James’ volley at Poole, are all early contenders for ‘Goal of the Season’
Now Pompey will be looking to get their form back on track when they travel to the University Stadium to take on eighth-placed Loughborough on Sunday, November 11.