Declan John is looking forwards not backwards – but will take inspiration from Wanderers’ thrilling comeback last out time out.
The Wanderers’ defender admits it’s been an ‘up and down’ start to the season with the Whites currently sitting mid-table in League One.
But Ian Evatt’s men showed their stomach for a fight as they hit back from a 2-0 down last Saturday to draw with Gillingham and halt a testing run on and off the pitch.
And John is looking to take that momentum to Portsmouth and beyond as Wanderers aim for a first win in five league games at Fratton Park on Saturday.
“Us coming back in that second half really gave us the belief we can beat any team if we play our football and we showed that in the second half,” said the Wales international, who made a timely return from injury against the Gills.
“The first half wasn’t good enough from us as a team but we managed to turn it around in that second half and the place was rocking after we got the equaliser.
“We’re all looking forward to the game on Saturday now.
“Perhaps the results so far haven’t really reflected the way we’ve played in certain games.
“If you look from the start of the season there are games where we’ve played really well and should have won.
“I think the one that sticks out to everyone would have been Sheffield Wednesday.
“But we can’t look back. We can only look forward.”
John - absent for successive losses after the narrow 1-0 defeat at Wednesday earlier this month - is certainly doing that after getting his career firmly back on track with Wanderers.
The 26-year-old has previously graced the Premier League and Scottish Premiership with spells at Cardiff City and Rangers, as well playing Championship football with Swansea City.
But after losing his way at Swansea, John has been given a new lease of life under Evatt.
And after turning last season’s successful loan spell into a permanent deal in the summer, the left-back is looking to kick on again this term as Wanderers aim to stay in touch with the promotion-chasers.
“I feel happy and settled at this football club, which I haven’t had for quite a long time,” John added.
“With the season we’ve had so far there’s plenty left to play for and we’re not really going to know where we’re going to end up until the last few weeks of the season.
“All we can do is work hard and try and get to where, as a club, we want to get to.”
Watch Declan's pre-match interview HERE