Pompey had to soak up some late pressure before sealing their spot in the third round of the Emirates FA Cup.
But Michael Morrison felt their 3-2 victory over fellow League One side MK Dons at Fratton Park was ultimately deserved.
Reeco Hackett immediately cancelled out Darragh Burns’ opener and Colby Bishop then netted twice from the spot before Mo Eisa replied for the visitors.
And Morrison was pleased with the overall display from the Blues that sees them join Premier League and Championship clubs in the next stage of the competition.
The defender said: “We probably had enough credit in the bank from our first half performance to say we deserved to win the game.
“Then we defended really well after the break – although possibly a bit too deep – with a different shape and looked solid.
"We probably had enough credit in the bank from our first half performance to say we deserved to win the game."
“MK Dons had a lot of possession, but they didn’t create too many clear-cut opportunities and we can be proud of ourselves. There was real satisfaction when the final whistle went.
“It was important that we started well and were able to catch them out a bit, while Jay Mingi was really good.
“Then we got caught with a sucker punch. It’s something that has happened too many times this season and made things difficult.
“So it was nice to score straight away. We stuck to our guns, carried on playing and our performance merited that.”
Morrison knows he wants to see Pompey paired with when the third round draw takes place this evening.
He said: “I’m an Arsenal fan, so it would be nice to have a trip there. I’d love an exciting away-day and that’s the beauty of the cup.”