Joe Morrell insists that Pompey have to remain positive after seeing their unbeaten run ended at Wigan.
A haul of 10 points had been claimed from the opening four games ahead of a trip to the DW Stadium.
Callum Lang struck in the closing stages to see the Latics climb above their opponents in the League One standings – albeit only on goals scored.
Morrell felt that the Blues deserved more for their efforts, but is not getting too down about the outcome.
The midfielder said: “It was very frustrating and we’ve lost to a team who scored with their first real shot on our goal.
“So we have to find the right balance between being critical of ourselves and also working hard to be better.
“You can’t be too down because this is a tough league and you’re always going to lose a game at some point.
“It’s just disappointing because the manner of the way we’ve lost this one, but I’m sure we’ll come back stronger when we go to MK Dons.
"We have to find the right balance between being critical of ourselves and also working hard to be better."
“Possession won’t necessarily win you games, but we felt like we were in control – especially in the first half.
“We lost that a bit after the break and were giving the ball away too easily, which left us stretched at times.
“In the end – and on the balance of play – we didn’t deserve to lose, although I’m sure there will be times when we win games that we don’t deserve to.
“It’s about taking the result on the chin and making sure that we still move forward with a lot of positivity.”
Morrell now goes away for international duty with Wales, which includes fixtures in Finland, Russia and Cardiff.
He said: “It could be a little bit more practical, but it’s something that you have to get used to when you’re involved with your country.
“You get a chance to see different parts of the world and it’s always an honour for me to represent Wales.
“Hopefully I can earn a few caps, then come back to Pompey and help the club get some more positive results.”