Ronan Curtis identifies Portsmouth requirements for potential promotion push ahead of Burton Albion tie

Portsmouth winger Ronan Curtis has stressed the importance of getting a win on the board and turning draws into victories ,as two things the south-coast side will need to do if they want to return to the Championship, speaking to The News.

Danny Cowley's men have failed to win any of their last six league games after coming out victorious in their first three matches of the campaign, consigning them to a 10th-place spot at this stage and damaging their chances of promotion as their rivals start to pull away.

For a side that only missed out on the top six last season by just two points, this is a bitterly disappointing start and something they will need to atone for if they want to drag themselves back into the promotion mix.

The bad news is the fact they are now seven points off the automatic promotion spots after their poor recent form, but there is good news for Pompey fans. They are just two points and in touching distance from the top six and still have 37 league games this season to make a real impact.

This is a let-off for Portsmouth who have been in extremely poor form after winning just three points from a possible eighteen in their last six League One fixtures - and key man Ronan Curtis has stated the potential steps his side need to take to improve their current record.

The Republic of Ireland international said to The News: "All we need is that one win. It begins with us all being together, you’ve seen it from us but unfortunately it didn’t quite come off.

"I think once we get that first win, we’ll go on a longer run

"Games are coming thick and fast, we’re on a schedule of Saturday then Tuesday and repeat.

"This game is out of the way now, we’ve got to forget about it. It’s two points dropped but you can look at it as we’re away from home.

"It may be a good point in the long run but we’re not happy with a point. We need to get wins on the table if we want to be a side that is competing for promotion at the end of the season. We’ll build on this game and we’ll take it into Burton on Tuesday."

The Verdict:

Portsmouth have the quality of players and manager to start pushing up the table after a poor run of form, but the game isn't played on paper and they will need to make strides mentally just as much as physically if they want to overcome this barrier and push on.

That includes Curtis stepping up himself. Scoring twice in his last three matches, after getting off to a slow start to the season, he will need to show why he deserves to be playing in the Championship after publicly stating his desire to operate in the second tier in the summer.

Similar applies to Marcus Harness who could also be a key player throughout the season.

Of course it has to be a team effort at Fratton Park if they want to get back into contention for promotion, but one or two players will need to start the ignition on this quest and the two wide men are the obvious duo who could make a real difference, along with Ryan Tunnicliffe who has a wealth of experience in the Championship.

Curtis is right in saying they need a win on the board though - and the difference between draws and wins could be automatic promotion or a scrap in the play-offs - so it's crucial they can pick up as many points as possible between now and the end of the season.