Ellis Harrison says Pompey are on course to enjoy the perfect preparation for their play-off clashes with Oxford.

The striker says being able to train without playing a game every week has its advantages, and the quality of Championship opposition the Blues have faced in warm-up games has helped.

Harrsion admits all the other play-off sides - Oxford, Wycombe and Fleetwood - will have had similar build-ups to the knockout games - which for the Blues start at home to United this Friday - but he feels the squad is in very good shape.

He told The News: 'We’re looking very good, if I’m honest. Everyone’s come in, everyone’s looking fit and everyone’s looking determined. Then again, I’m sure Oxford, Wycombe and Fleetwood will be feeling the same but we’ll be ready for it.

‘The tempo has been very sharp. To be honest, it’s been the best it’s been since I’ve been here. We’ve had full weeks of training and we haven’t had to worry about a game on the Saturday. Everyone’s been coming in, putting in 100 per cent and then going home and enjoying themselves. It’s going to be worth it if we’re fit enough to go and beat Oxford.

‘It’s different in a season because on a Monday you could be doing recovery if you’re playing on a Tuesday with the other lads training. It can be quite split up but now we’re all together training and you can see the quality where everyone’s together.’

He said of the friendlies: ‘It’s been very tough. They are two very good Championship teams. To play against them was good because we know Oxford will be good but I don’t think they’ll be as good as those teams.

'It’s better for us to play against a Reading and a Brentford compared to lower league teams, because we know when Oxford come at us on Friday they won’t roll over and will give us a good game.

'They were both pinging it around but you need those games to get fit. The manager said he didn’t want to play against teams who didn’t test us - because Oxford will test us.'

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