Barnsley visit leaders Portsmouth tonight hoping to deny their hosts a promotion party and secure a place in League One's top six.
The Reds are fifth in League One, five points clear of the teams below the play-offs following a 2-2 home draw with Reading on Saturday.
They need three points from their last three games to be sure of the play-offs – having taken nine from nine – while two sides chasing them Oxford and Lincoln play each other on Tuesday.
Pompey are five points clear at the top and nine clear in top two.They drew at third-placed Bolton Wanderers on Saturday. A point would secure promotion and a win would give them the title.
Portsmouth are unbeaten in 16, winning 11. They have won six out of seven at home, the other being a 2-2 draw with second-placed Derby last week.
They have the best home record in the division with 47 points from 21 games and are the only side with more away points than the Reds who have already set a club record for the most points on the road in a season.
Head coach Neill Collins told the Chronicle: “We’re going to probably the best team in the league at one of the most difficult times when they are a point away from promotion. They will have a big crowd behind them, it will be an interesting atmosphere.
“But in some ways it will be like a play-off match and a good test. The team has grown throughout the season and done well in these games.
“I would like it to be us that is a point from promotion but we’re going there to secure play-offs.
“It’s amazing in football, you can be on the great run like we were on then it can quickly change. We’re not on the best run but it can quickly turn. No better game than Portsmouth to go and do that.”
Collins hopes his side can increase the pressure on the home team to get the point they need.
“You watch football across the weekend, and see that getting across the line is so difficult. It’s so hard to achieve anything in sport. If we make it as difficult as possible for them, we will see where that puts us. It can become quite frustrating quite quickly. Portsmouth will get promoted but we hope it’s not in this game.”
On what makes Portsmouth so successful, Collins said: “They are consistently very very good. They pass it well, keep possession but have people up top who are ruthless. They have great wingers, a striker with 20 goals (Colby Bishop). Right through the team they are very strong.
“They are probably the most rounded team in a league with some very good sides in it.”
The match was due to be played on March 23 but Portsmouth postponed it due to international call-ups.
Portsmouth won 3-2 at Oakwell in September, going 3-0 up after 16 minutes before Barry Cotter and Callum Styles replied in the second half.
The two clubs have met 57 times, with Barnsley winning 19 and losing 23.
The Reds’ only win in the last six meetings was a 3-1 home success in March last year.
The previous month, they had drawn 1-1 at Fratton Park thanks to a late Liam Kitching equaliser.
Since 1980, the Reds have only won once in 22 games at Portsmouth, losing 14 times. That victory was a 3-1 success in 1999 with goals by Craig Hignett, an own goal, and Bruce Dyer.
After that, they have drawn three and lost five of their eight games there.
Ex-Red Josh Martin has made nine appearances for Pompey this season but none since early March.
