It was a result that saw Pompey record a fourth successive league victory for the first time this season.
But Danny Cowley reckons his side have plenty of room for improvement after a 1-0 success at struggling Wigan.
Andy Cannon scored the only goal of the contest just 36 seconds after entering the pitch at the start of the second half.
It was not a fluent display from the visitors, however, and Cowley knows there is more to come from his troops.
The Blues boss said: “It was probably our best win so far because it was the worst that we have played.
“I thought it was a tired performance, but it does take time to adapt when a new manager comes in and changes the training methods.
“You would normally like to freshen things up in the forward end of the pitch over the Easter weekend.
"It was probably our best win so far because it was the worst that we have played."
“But we weren’t in a position to do that because of injuries and suspensions, although perhaps we could have changed the midfield.
“Credit to the players, though, because they showed resilience and durability in the second half, fighting right to the end.
“There has been a lot of high intensity running and they looked tired, but there are a few days ahead of the Burton game, so we should be able to play the way we want to.
“We have high expectations and we have to play better than if we want to achieve what we’re all looking for.”
There was a big blow for Pompey towards the end of the game, with Sean Raggett forced off following a clash with Callum Lang.
Cowley said: “It’s a cheek injury and it looks serious, but there’s a lot of swelling at the moment and so I can’t say too much.
“Sean is as tough as they come, although Rasmus Nicolaisen and James Bolton came on and defended our box well as we tried to see things out.
“You don’t want to lose any of your key players and so it’s not ideal, but these things happen in football and we’ve got a no excuse mentality.”