But hopes of a top six spot had been nullified after they could only manage a draw against Oxford United in midweek.
This saw the Fratton faithful heavily criticise a number of John Mousinho’s squad as the Blues now embark on a seventh consecutive campaign in League One.
And the head coach rang the changes against Accrington on Saturday, which saw Harry Jewitt-White handed his EFL debut, while there were also starts for Di’Shon Bernard, Ryley Towler and Paddy Lane.
But there were a number of notable absentees from the starting XI and match-day squad, with the Blues boss using the contest to assess a number of players ahead of a busy summer.
We’ve taken a look at the standout omissions from Saturday’s starting side against Accrington and what it could mean for them.
9. Clark Robertson
The skipper is out of contract this summer and found himself, like Raggett, out of the backline against Accrington as Mousinho opted to test the pairing of Towler and Bernard. Robertson has made 56 outings in his near-two-year stay at Fratton, with injuries playing a large role in his absences. And that injury issue is something which Pompey fans believed could be the deciding factor in his future beyond the summer. Photo: Jason Brown