Terry Devlin was the goal hero as he fired Pompey to three more points with the winning goal in their latest come-from-behind victory, a 3-2 success at Reading.
And afterwards as it sank in, he he was surprised when he was told he was playing.
Devlin's goal came after Tino Anjorin and Colby Bishop had scored to make it 2-2 at the interval, after Reading had led 2-0.
Bishop's goal came in the ninth minute of injury time at the end of a half in which Reading fans had held up proceedings by throwing tennis balls on to the pitch in protest at the club's ownership.
The win extends Pompey's league unbeaten run to 26 games, stretching back to March, and puts them six points clear at the top of League One.
Devlin was bussing afterwards and told the Pompey website: 'It hasn’t really hit me yet, but it was an amazing feeling when it went in and the noise the fans made was crazy.
'Sometimes Colby will go for goal there, but thankfully he’s nodded it down and I was there to finish it. I’ve been working hard with Zesh after training on timing my runs to get into the box. I’d missed a couple before, but took the chance.
'I don’t think that I’m going to forget that in a hurry – it’s going to have to be a really good moment to top that one. To get my first league goal in my first start in my first year in English football is a dream come true for me.
'I was surprised to be told I was in the team on Thursday after being left out on Tuesday night, but it’s about the whole squad if you want to be promoted. You need to be ready when you’re called upon and thankfully I was for this one. I slept well the night before and couldn’t wait to get on the pitch.
'We know we’re a good team and could get ourselves back in the game. We just flipped a switch and were confident we could win it.'
There's no league action for a fortmight now for the Blues but before they welcome Charlton to Fratton on November 11 they go to Chesterfield in the FA Cup and Leyton Orient in the EFL Trophy.