Pompey travel to Victoria Road tomorrow to take on the worst team in League Two as they look to increase the pressure on their promotion rivals.
Team News
Paul Cook is likely to select the same starting eleven as the Carlisle game with Conor Wilkinson looking to get a place on the bench if he is fit enough.
Former Pompey goalkeeper Liam O'Brien will miss the game with a foot injury and therefore Mark Cousins will deputise. Josh Passley, a Portsmouth loanee last season, will play but the Daggers will be without Zavon Hines and Luke Guttridge due to injuries.
The Match
On paper, this is a match Pompey should win comfortably given that they are still in with a shout of automatic promotion whilst Dagenham are rock bottom of the entire Football League and look certain to be playing in the Conference next season.
However, football is never quite that straightforward and here are a few reasons why Portsmouth may not win tomorrow:
Firstly, they have failed to win three league matches in a row at all this season. Saturday will mark the fifth attempt Pompey have had at breaking this duck and they'll never have a better opportunity than against Dagenham, but maybe that'll play on the players' minds?
Secondly, on Tuesday, John Still's men managed to do something that Paul Cook's team couldn't do this season - beat Morecambe. That was the Daggers' first win in four after three straight defeats and may give them some confidence. They also beat Northampton much earlier in the season and almost beat Plymouth if not for a late equaliser, too.
Finally, the biggest reason that Pompey may not win tomorrow is simply down to complacency. Cook has accused his side of thinking they could just turn up and win at times this season with the most recent performances against Yeovil and Newport highlighting that.
Despite how bad Dagenham are, the Pompey players must treat this as if they were playing for promotion because dropped points tomorrow would virtually end any hopes of finishing in the top three.
There are really no excuses for not picking up all three points tomorrow, though. Dagenham may try and frustrate early on but they simply have to win this game to keep their faint hopes of survival alive. So Pompey might have to be patient but they have enough quality in the team and n the bench to get the job done.
With Bristol Rovers likely to drop points at Northampton and Accrington and Plymouth facing tricky games against Luton and Wimbledon respectively, this is simply an opportunity to close the gap that Pompey simply can't afford to pass up.
Predicted Starting Line-Ups
Dagenham
GK: Mark COUSINS
RB: Joe WIDDOWSON
CB: Dominic HYAM
CB: Clevid DIKAMONA
LB: Justin HOYTE
CM: Ashley HEMMINGS
CM: Oliver MULDOON
CM: Joss LABADIE
AM: Matty CASH
CF: Christian DOIDGE
CF: Jamie CURETON
Pompey
GK: Paul JONES
RB: Ben DAVIES
CB: Christian BURGESS
CB: Matt CLARKE
LB: Enda STEVENS
DM: Michael DOYLE
DM: Danny HOLLANDS
RM: Adam McGURK
AM: Gary ROBERTS
LM: Kyle BENNETT
CF: Michael SMITH
Last Time: Dagenham & Redbridge 0 Portsmouth 0 (League Two - 10/02/2015)
A cold Tuesday night in East London ended with one of the most forgettable stalemates in Pompey history with no action worth mentioning.
My Prediction
The duck has to break here, doesn't it? If Pompey can't beat the worst team in the entire Football League then they don't deserve to win automatic promotion.
Dagenham & Redbridge 0 Portsmouth 2