Eight weeks ago, Pompey lost at home to Crewe and if anyone had suggested they'd be going to Mansfield having wrapped up promotion a couple of games earlier, they'd have got a funny look, or worse.
But the trip to Field Mill is indeed two games into Pompey's 'already promoted' era and it is the small matter of the League Two title on the Blues' minds now the League One title is in the bag.
Finishing first may be unlikely - Pompey would need to win both their games and hope Doncaster and, to a lesser extent Plymouth, lose their way. But it's still a target and that should be the only motivation the Blues need as they visit play-off chasing Mansfield.
Midfielder Gary Roberts insists the players are up to take the fight as far as they can.
He told The News: ‘If there’s any sort of sniff of the league we’ll fight until the last second to get it. Stranger things have happened. I personally can’t see Doncaster slipping up. Not twice. But they’re live games for them. They’re not dead games against sides who will roll over.
‘If we can capitalise on anything — we’ll be there. We will. A couple of months back we were 12 points behind Doncaster. Now it’s four. If we can take it to the last day and have half a sniff, that’s a pat on the back for the lads. If you look at the pressure games we don’t really buckle. We’ll be alright, so it’d be nice to put a bit of pressure on them.’
The likes of Nicke Kabamba and Stanley Aborah are set for another run-out at Mansfield after positive contributions in the win over Cambridge last week.
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