Conor Shaughnessy’s admission over grim reality of where Portsmouth’s season stands after Derby County woe

Conor Shaughnessy promised supporters Pompey’s dressing room is acutely aware they’re in a grim fight for Championship survival.

But the defender believes his team-mates are giving everything in that bid to remain in the second tier, as they are let down by a lack of attacking quality.

And Shaughnessy feels the coming weeks will reveal everything about the character in this current Blues group, with their place in the second tier under serious threat.

Last night’s 1-0 reverse to Derby County made it four defeats on the spin at Fratton Park, with it just a single point collected from a possible 15 by John Mousinho’s side.

They somehow remain outside of the Championship drop zone by a single point, however, and have a game in hand over their relegation rivals.

But the sobering truth of where Pompey’s season now stands with nine games remaining is abundantly clear; an attritional battle to remain in the second tier looking increasingly likely.

Shaughnessy said: ‘Everyone fully understands where we are as a club and everyone’s fully motivated to keep us in the division.

‘We’re showing the desire and passion, but maybe we’re lacking a little bit of quality in their box.

‘But Derby also defended their box really well and that’s maybe something we didn’t do in the first half for their goal. At the end of the day, that’s maybe the difference.

‘The performances have been okay, but I’d rather perform poorly and win. It doesn’t matter how it comes, we need the wins.

‘I don’t think confidence is lacking, I just think it’s quality in front of goal.

‘It’s those moments which change games in front of goal, maybe we need a scrappy win over a beautiful loss.’

Pompey now have a trip to London to face QPR to come before the international break, with a result needed at Loftus Road to ensure they don’t go into the pause from Championship action in the bottom three.

That would be a damaging psychological blow with the Easter period following, comprising a trip to Norwich City and a massive relegation showdown with Oxford United on Easter Monday.

Shaughnessy sees the run-in revealing much about the calibre of Mousinho’s group, with the defender confident the players will step up.

He added: ‘We’ll find out a lot about each other in these last nine games.

‘We’ll find out about who wants to be here and be a part of it, we’ll find out who wants to do well for the fans and for the club.

‘When I look around the changing room I think I see that everyone wants the same thing, everyone will dig in. This is a good bunch of lads and I think you’ll see that now, starting on Saturday at QPR.’