Hard work is the key to Pompey carrying on their unbeaten run when Oxford visit Fratton Park on Saturday.
So says assistant boss Gary Waddock, who has praised the players for scoring six at Cambridge and following it up with a back-from-the-dead win against Tranmere.
Pompey head into Michael Appleton's return to Fratton on the back of four wins and two draws from their past six games but knowing they still have plenty more points to gather before they can even think about a play-off push.
Waddock told the club website: 'Everybody’s worked extremely hard and the game at Wycombe seems to have been a turning point. The effort that the players have produced on the training ground has resulted in an upturn in performances.
'They had, in fairness, improved before we started picking up a lot of points, but now we’re getting what we deserve. To go to Cambridge away and score six goals is some achievement and to follow it up with a home win against Tranmere — when the odds were stacked against us — shows tremendous team spirit.
'Football’s funny — there are incredibly fine margins and you need a little bit of luck along the way. But we want this run to continue and the only way that will happen is if we keep working hard.”
James Dunne is banned after picking up his tenth booking, so Nigel Atangana and Johnny Ertl vie to take his place. Otherwise, Pompey are likely to be unchanged, with the likes of Craig Westcarr, Andy Barcham and Conor Chaplin all set to be on the bench again despite coming on to aid the Tranmere victory.
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