RECAP as Pompey sign off from League One in style at Lincoln!

Michael Skubala believes Pompey are ‘worthy winners’ of the League One title.

The Lincoln boss also has the utmost respect for his opposite number at Fratton Park - John Mousinho.

But with the Imps keen to join the Blues in the Championship next season, he’s sending his team out at the LNER Stadium on Saturday determined not to let the Pompey promotion party extend to Lincolnshire.

Lincoln are currently sixth in the table and occupy the last remaining play-off place with 74 points. But their place in the top six is still not secure, with Oxford behind them in seventh on goal difference and Blackpool just a point adrift in eighth.

While the U’s travel to Exeter tomorrow and the Seasiders head to Reading, Skubala & Co must contend with the league champions. However, it’s a prospect that doesn’t fear the former Leeds coach, whose side have suffered just one defeat in their past 18 games.

Skubala said: ‘The lads are really focused and all they’re concentrating on is the next game.

‘If we look back to early January/February and were offered the chance to take it to this game we’d have taken that. Ultimately, it’s another opportunity for us to get three points.

‘We know it’ll be tough against a great team who are worthy champions in my eyes, but if you look at our form and their form in the last 15 games, it’s similar.

‘I think we’ve got the toughest game out of the play-off contenders and we go into it expecting the other teams around us to win - so we have to win. We know we’re in the position where if we win, we go through, which is a nice situation to be in. 

‘We’ll know exactly what’s going on elsewhere and will know the permutations but, ultimately, it’s down to winning this game against a very good Portsmouth team.

‘They’re a very professional outfit, and I know their head coach John Mousinho really well. They won’t lay down for anyone and we know how tough it’ll be, but if we play like we can for 90 minutes we’ll have every chance.’

Fifth-placed Barnsley will also be keeping an eye on events elsewhere on Saturday. They’re just one point above Lincoln in the table as they welcome Northampton to Oakwell.

A draw against Pompey could be enough for the Imps as long as they match or better Oxford and Blackpool’s results. The Blues lost their first game after being crowned champions agains Wigan last week. The 2-1 defeat was Mousinho & Co’s first in 18 games.

John Mousinho has urged his Pompey champions to savour the moment as they get set for the League One championship party.

Thousands of Blues fans are expected to descend on Southsea Common on Sunday, as the city pays homage to the League One title winners.

It promises to be an afternoon to live long in the memory, following the unforgettable scenes of the FA Cup parade in 2008 and League Two festivities in 2017.

And Mousinho has called upon his squad to lap up every second of what promises to be a special afternoon for the football club and city.

Mousinho said: ‘I’ve heard all about the celebrations (in 2008 and 2017), I’ve heard it’s pretty special.

‘For us, it’s good to imagine these things, but if you’d ask me to try to imagine Barnsley before it happened, you can think about it - but nothing actually prepares you for the moment.

‘I think it’s one where the players should just live in the moment and enjoy it. These sorts of things don’t come around too often.

‘Hopefully they will for the football club again and they do for individuals - but you never actually know when they are going to come around.

‘It’s just living it, things do happen really quickly. I’m sure people would relive Barnsley again if they could, with all the pictures, commentary, videos and everything else that goes with it. You can look back and get those spine-tingling moments looking back, I know I have done.

‘So everyone needs to enjoy it Sunday, because football is a difficult injury - it’s a tough injury to be in. The minute everyone has enjoyed it Sunday we’ll be dusting ourselves off Monday to prepare for next season.’

Pompey have been bathing in the afterglow of a record-breaking campaign since winning League One against Barnsley - and then lifting the trophy aloft against Wigan last week.

Mousinho told how the magnitude of that success is still sinking in, but there’s been some special moments along the way.

He added: ‘Things constantly pop up and players see them and staff see them. Things pop up every day.

‘There’s somebody’s angle of things unfolding and you get to relive the moment again. There’s Conor’s goal and the final whistle - all of these things are brilliant to look back on.

‘It all seemed to happen at the perfect time. I remember Jon (Harley) telling me to go to the directors’ box and have a look (after Barnsley). It was an amazing view.

‘It was an evening game and you had all the colours and the way the game panned out. It would’ve been very difficult to script it any better.

‘Even on the night, I got back to my house in Southsea at 2.30am and you could still hear it going off everywhere. That was a nice moment and just brilliant to have that occasion.’