Portsmouth Seal Championship Promotion: Analysing Pompey’s League One Title Success

17/04/24 340

On Tuesday evening, Portsmouth came from 2-1 down to defeat Barnsley 3-2 at Fratton Park, courtesy of late goals from Colby Bishop and Conor Shaughnessy.

Not only did that victory confirm Pompey’s return to the Championship after 12 years, but it also saw the club secure the League One title with two games to spare.

It’s been an incredible season for the south coast side, with rookie head coach John Mousinho guiding the team to glory in his first managerial role.

So, how did Portsmouth secure promotion? And what are the key stories behind their success? Forebet dives into the stats and trends behind Pompey’s title triumph.

Portsmouth kicked off the 2023-24 League One campaign with a 16-game unbeaten streak, notching six consecutive victories between September and October.

After losing just one of their opening 22 matches, Pompey found themselves atop the table at Christmas and firmly in control of the title race.

A run of three defeats in five matches between December and January threatened to derail their season, but Mousinho’s men haven’t lost since then, picking up 12 wins and five draws.

Impressively, Portsmouth have lost just four of their 44 league games this term, securing 27 wins and 13 draws in the process.

Pompey have scored 75 goals (1.7 goals per game) and conceded 39 (0.9 goals per game), meaning they boast the second-best goal difference in the division.

The south coast side have excelled both at home and on the road, losing two home games and two away games, with 15 victories coming at Fratton Park.

Colby Bishop sits second in the League One scoring charts, having netted 21 goals in 42 appearances, while Charlton Athletic’s Alfie May has 23 goals to his name.

Other standout performers include Abu Kamara, who has bagged eight goals and 10 assists, with Paddy Lane contributing 11 goals and six assists.

At the opposite end of the pitch, goalkeeper Will Norris has kept 18 clean sheets, putting him one behind Lincoln City’s Lukas Jensen on the shutout leaderboard.

Sitting on 94 points with two games left to play, Portsmouth have the opportunity to hit the elusive 100-point mark with victories over Wigan Athletic and Lincoln.

Considering that Mousinho only retired from playing in January 2023 and swiftly took the Portsmouth managerial job, the 37-year-old deserved huge credit for his efforts.

Pompey last featured in the Championship back in 2011-12 and spent four consecutive seasons in League 2 between 2013-14 and 2016-17.

Following years of lower-league struggles and financial woes, Portsmouth will start the 2024-25 campaign just one division below the Premier League.