Three league wins in a row is a sequence that has eluded Pompey since they managed it on three straight Saturdays a month into the season, winning at Exeter then at home to Crawley and Wycombe.

Even that run was interrupted by a tinpot trophy defeat at Yeovil, but if the Blues can sting the Bees of Barnet tomorrow, three consecutive victories is again what they will be toasting.

Cynics among Pompey's support - that's, well, most of their support - will say that after two solid home successes inside four days over Accrington and Blackpool, Paul Cook's men are bound to come unstuck in north-west London.

They might be right but at least we are able to talk about Pompey going into a game looking for such a sequence and not, as we were a week ago, talking of an absolute must-win encounter following a defeat or two.

Pompey begin the weekend in fifth place, four points behind third-placed Carlisle and with a game in hand. Carlisle are at eighth-placed Wycombe in this round of games while Luton, who are a point ahead of the Blues in fourth, visit leaders Doncaster.

That leaves only Plymouth of the sides above Cook's men, who visit Hartlepool, with what looks a straightforward assignment.

Defender Matt Clarke says the players just want to keep the momentum going after those back to back home wins. Those wins both featured clean sheets but Clarke told The News: ‘Our defensive record is something we cannot really dwell on because we are not in the position we want. If we were top of the league we could talk about our good stats and how we were happy with them.

'But at the moment we are not where we want to be in the table, so I don’t think it’s something we can really boast about it. It wouldn’t matter if we had conceded more goals than currently — I would definitely take that in order to be in a better league position.

‘I would rather win a game 3-2 than lose 1-0 with the defence having conceded fewer goals. As a defender, conceding goals is obviously something we don’t want to do. But we want to win football matches. That is the most important thing.’

Gareth Evans. scorer of the opening goal against Blackpool, is a doubt with a shoulder injury but may be fit. Curtis Main is still out and new recruit Stanley Aborah is not yet match-fit.

Barnet are on their third manager of the season in Kevin Nugent and go into the game off the back of a hard-earned 1-0 win at Morecambe in midweek. They're 11th and only three points off a play-off spot.

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