Danny Cowley hailed the character of his Pompey side after they continued their fine League One record.
A 2-0 victory over struggling Morecambe at a damp Fratton Park stretched their unbeaten run to nine matches.
Marcus Harness opened the scoring after an incredible passage of play that saw George Hirst have a shot cleared off the line before Miguel Azeez struck the post.
Connor Ogilvie then converted a corner after the break to open his account and wrap up all three points for the hosts.
And with several players still sat on the sidelines, Cowley was delighted too see troops pass another test.
The Blues boss said: “It was a really important win for us – for me it’s probably our best of the season.
“We weren’t free-flowing, but showed a huge amount of resilience and determination, as well as a bundle of grit.
"To keep playing the same team for game after game after game because we have to is just relentless."
“Only we probably know how much we’ve been up against it in the past couple of weeks, so the players deserve plenty of credit for coming through it.
“Shaun Williams is a 35-year-old and has played 270 minutes this week in the centre of midfield, while Miguel Azeez has played three games back-to-back at the start of his career.
“We had some good moves in the first half and definitely looked a real threat. We got in behind the defensive line and took the lead.
“It was actually a really nice move and the ball bounced around. I liked that we had the energy and will to follow up.
“We’ve been working hard on our corners – you might not know it, but we have. Connor timed his run well and got the header. I was pleased for him.
“I thought we looked a bit low on energy in the second half because we haven’t got many players available at the moment.
“To keep playing the same team for game after game after game because we have to is just relentless.”