Credit: Imago / Portsmouth FC on X

Dan Godfrey

Sat 29 March 2025 19:59, UK

Portsmouth managed to get over the line and return to winning ways on Saturday with a determined 1-0 victory over Blackburn Rovers.

Pompey were resolute to keep the clean sheet against a Blackburn side whose play-off challenge is diminishing – but crucially, so is the Blues’ emergency peer over their shoulders towards the Championship drop zone.

The gap between John Mousinho‘s men and the relegation places has been restored to seven points, a much more comfortable cushion than the four points over the international break.

Connor Ogilvie ‘best in league’, ‘proved me wrong’

Ogilvie was again deployed in a more central role in the backline by Mousinho for the return to Championship action, and he put in an exemplary performance.

Not content with just his part in a clean sheet, Ogilvie also played a major part in the decisive moment going forward, playing a ball from the left side into Josh Murphy, who then exchanged passes with Colby Bishop and stroked home a wonderful finish inside 20 minutes.

Ogilvie’s first season in the Championship has been far from plain sailing, but his improvement from the sluggish early months to now has been staggering.

The 28-year-old’s rise has been recognised across the Portsmouth support base, who have taken to social media to air their views after he was captured taking the acclaim of the Fratton End at the final whistle (Portsmouth FC on X, 29 March).

Portsmouth would be riddled with nerves without Fratton Park win

Given the impressive home record of Portsmouth this season – and struggles on the road – it was absolutely integral that they beat Blackburn on Saturday.

It was far from a glamorous clash, but Murphy’s goal and the robust defensive display proved enough, and crucially so, as Pompey’s next two fixtures are away from Fratton Park.

Millwall at The Den (5 April) and Coventry City at the CBS Arena (9 April) represent a significant double challenge for Mousinho’s Blue Army.

Afterwards comes the visit of Derby County to Fratton, which, if matters go south in the next two for Pompey, could turn out to be huge in the context of the campaign.

Blues fans would certainly be wracked with nerves had they dropped points against Valerien Ismael’s Rovers, but are now seven points clear of the drop and can enjoy a sigh of relief.