Pompey will be looking to exert more pressure on the teams above them with a win over Blackpool at Fratton Park tomorrow night.
Team News
Paul Cook is likely to start with the same eleven that began Saturday's match against Accrington although Kal Naismith, Conor Chaplin and Carl Baker could be considered if the manager wants to change things up.
Blackpool defender Andy Taylor and midfielder Neil Danns were injured in the Tangerines' 4-1 win at Carlisle and are therefore rated as doubtful for tomorrow's match.
The Match
Blackpool may be a mid-table side in League Two but they showed what they were capable of when they demolished the Cumbrians on Saturday. They will certainly be a tougher test than Stanley and therefore Pompey must up their game tomorrow if they're going to win.
Their trio of attacking players in Kyle Vassell, Mark Cullen and Jamille Matt will cause problems for even the best defence in the division, which currently belongs to Portsmouth despite some people's cries of how poor they've been at times this season.
Because the visitors are likely to attack more than Accrington, that could well play into Pompey's hands and the atmosphere should be boosted due to this being an evening match where the crowd tend to be louder, although that also means the boo boys are going to be heard much clearer if things don't go their way.
However, the gut feeling is that the crowd will be willing to be more patient tomorrow than they were on Saturday due to the opposition having some stature about them, meaning that they won't be expected to roll over like Accrington were once they conceded in the first minute.
Moaning will only cause the Pompey players to misplace passes and replicate the worst of last weekend's showing so it would be great to see Fratton Park back to how it can be; inspiring for the men in blue and intimidating for the opposition - although that's probably asking too much these days.
In terms of team selection, Cook usually doesn't change a winning team but with the amount of games piling up this month, he may decide to give Gary Roberts and Jamal Lowe a breather with Kal Naismith and Carl Baker replacing them.
As said many, many times before this season, the quality has always been in this squad to perform but the consistency has never been there. If the fans get behind the team then that will only help them to another win which could (once again) see Pompey within touching distance of automatic promotion.
In tomorrow's oher key fixtures, Carlisle's wobble may well continue as they take on leaders Doncaster, Wycombe go to Crewe, Mansfield host Accrington, Luton most likely won't slip up at home to Hartlepool and Exeter visit beleagured Notts County.
Therefore, only a win will do on Valentine's Day if Pompey are to keep pace at the top.
Predicted Starting Line-Ups
Pompey
GK: David FORDE
RB: Gareth EVANS
CB: Christian BURGESS
CB: Matt CLARKE
LB: Enda STEVENS
DM: Michael DOYLE
DM: Amine LINGANZI
RM: Jamal LOWE
AM: Gary ROBERTS
LM: Kyle BENNETT
CF: Eoin DOYLE
Blackpool
GK: Sam SLOCOMBE
RB: Kelvin MELLOR
CB: Tom ALDRED
CB: Clark ROBERTSON
LB: Will AIMSON
RM: Jordan FLORES
CM: Colin DANIEL
CM: Jack PAYNE
LM: Brad POTTS
CF: Kyle VASSELL
CF: Nathan DELFEUNSO
Last Time: Portsmouth 1 Blackpool 0 (Championship - 24/11/2011)
Erik Huseklepp scored a spectacular volleyed winner in the dying seconds of this match to give Steve Cotterill's men a much needed win.
My Prediction
This will be a tough game but it's time to be positive. Eoin has to get on the scoresheet eventually, doesn't he!?
Portsmouth 2 Blackpool 1