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.