How Luton fairy tale cruelly opens up old Portsmouth wounds - the heartbreak of the promotion season that never was

It’s an outstanding accomplishment not particularly viewed with jealousy by the Fratton faithful, more regret at what could – what should – have been.

The clubs were fierce League One promotion rivals in 2018-19, battling it out for a top-two spot for the majority of the campaign.

However, an agonising Blues capitulation prompted the long-time leaders’ ignominious withdrawal from the race – and the Hatters went up as champions.

Now, after four seasons in the Championship, they have returned to the top-flight for the first time in 31 years following the penalty shoot-out triumph over Coventry.

Yet it was December 8, 2018, when Kenny Jackett’s Blues were six points clear of second-placed Luton in League One.

Pompey had just defeated Southend 2-0 at Fratton Park, with Jamal Lowe registering his eighth of the campaign and the visitors’ Michael Turner netting an own goal.

At that stage, they had lost one of their 20 league fixtures, that blip arriving in October 2018 at Fratton Park against Gillingham courtesy of a 2-0 loss, ironically the club they hammered 4-0 in the Checkatrade Trophy a month earlier.

Among those conquered during that impressive period was Luton, courtesy of Lowe inflicting a 1-0 defeat on the opening day of the season at Fratton Park.

Those present will admit it was a fortuitous victory for the Blues, considering the obvious ability of the opposition, nonetheless it demonstrated the hosts’ own qualities too.

Still, of Pompey’s opening 27 matches in all competitions from the start of 2018-19, they lost just two – Gillingham and AFC Wimbledon (Carabao Cup).

There were subsequently two December defeats to Charlton and again to Gillingham, but Jackett’s troops entered 2019 still occupying League One’s summit.

On January 1, following the round of New Year’s Day matches, Pompey were five points clear of Luton, having played the same number of games.

Within 50 days, the Blues were fourth – the position where they would finish, condemning them to the play-offs.

As for the Hatters, by that stage they had put 10 points between them and Pompey, never to relinquish top spot for the remainder of the season.

Perhaps pivotally, the sides met at Kenilworth Road on January 29, 2019, with the visitors by then in second place, albeit two points behind.

Victory would have restored the Blues to top spot with a game in hand – instead George Moncur netted an 86th-minute winner for Nathan Jones’ side.

The Hatters triumphed 3-2 and lost two matches during the remainder of the season as they secured the title with a healthy 94 points.

Pompey, who were reeling from the loss of Ben Thompson and a January transfer window which saw the arrivals of Andy Cannon, Bryn Morris, Omar Bogle, Lloyd Isgrove, James Vaughan and Viv Solomon-Otabor, did eventually rally.

In March 2019, they equalled the club record of eight consecutive wins in all competitions, a late-season surge which consisted of victory over Sunderland in the Checkatrade Trophy.

However, they finished fourth on 88 points, before losing to Sunderland in the play-off semi-final by a 1-0 aggregate scoreline.

Now Luton are in the Premier League – and Pompey finished eighth in League One.