LAST week we played our first match in the 15-game block of fixtures to take us to the end of the current campaign.

Every single one of these games is effectively a cup final, and against Mansfield Town, we made the perfect start to this mini-season within a season.

Mansfield arrived at the Kassam off the back of a great result against Luton, and it wasn’t difficult to see how they secured that 1-0 win.

They’re a big, physical and combative team who can really bully the opposition if given the chance – but we didn’t let them do that.

From the first whistle, all over the pitch, we went toe-to-toe with them.

When the time was right we pressed them high, we won our personal battles, and earned the right to play.

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Yes, the first 25 minutes were a little nervy, and it was a bit of a war of attrition, but it can be like that sometimes in League Two.

You have to do the basics well – and that means winning tackles, winning headers and really busting a gut to close down the ball.

We did the ugly side of the game well and, after the first goal, I felt we really controlled the game, and had that little bit of extra quality when it was required in the final third.

Callum O’Dowda showed great feet for the second goal, and was unlucky not to score himself, but Alex MacDonald’s finish was tremendous.

Alex is a great striker of a ball, which might sound like a strange thing for me to say, but not all professional footballers are.

Alex has a very smooth, classic technique and he made Saturday’s chance look easy – when it really wasn’t.

I was right behind him and he didn’t have very much of the goal to aim at.

Fortunately, he caught it sweetly, as he tends to do, and it gave us that valuable 2-0 cushion.

On Callum, you may have seen this week that we’ve signed him up for the next three years on a new and improved contract, which is terrific news for him, and the club.

He’s made a big impact this season and is improving with every game he plays.

He’s becoming more consistent, which is key, and when he’s on song, looks really dangerous.

There’s a real sense of anticipation when Callum gets the ball in the final third, and he’s one of those players who really gets the crowd going and out of their seats – the Mansfield game being a prime example.

Today we travel to Portsmouth, a team that have won their last three league games, and one with a vociferous, and large, home support.

I’ll be looking for more of the same from Callum and the rest of the boys.

To prepare for the game and to help the squad gel ahead of the final 14 games of the season, we took them to Bisham Abbey for a three-day training camp.

We’ve had a lot of new faces come into the squad in recent weeks, and while all of those players have hit the ground running, they’ve really got to know one another, and have properly bonded, over the course of the last 72 hours.

I don’t like to take the players away from their families too often, but this was short trip, and I felt we really needed the time together as a group.

The training sessions have been great – the intensity’s been good and confidence is high after last weekend’s result.

We need to make sure we take that in to today’s game, and keep up the momentum.

We know it’s going to be a tough match, but Fratton Park’s a great place to play football.

We’re focused and ready.