One more point. The last time Portsmouth were in the Championship, the Harry Potter films topped the box office, Fabio Capello was the England manager and Abu Kamara, Pompey’s goalscorer, was eight years old.
Now one more point is all they need after a battling 1-1 draw at third-placed Bolton took them closer to a return to the second tier. A famous Fratton Park festival surely awaits, with Portsmouth hosting Barnsley on Tuesday.
After six minutes, Kamara looked set to get the Pompey party started as he pounced on a loose Bolton pass, darted in from the right flank and arrowed home with his left foot. Cue bedlam among the away supporters.
Three points would have been a robbery on the day, mind, as Bolton dominated possession, pushing harder and harder in the knowledge that only a win would keep their fate in their own hands. Portsmouth were resolute, though.
Bolton earned an equaliser and carved out enough opportunities to get all three points. Their leveller came on the 36-minute mark with the magical Paris Maghoma at the heart of matters, shifting the ball elegantly left to Nathanael Ogbeta, whose cross was nodded home by the striker Aaron Collins.
Bolton went close in the second half. The substitute Dion Charles struck a post with a canny guided effort late on, after George Thomason had lasered one wide and was then smothered by Norris when he dashed through. But they did not quite do enough and Portsmouth regrouped, retaining their gap to third.
John Mousinho insisted his side did everything they could to win, but is now relishing the chance to finish the job. “We wanted to get it done today but it doesn’t always work out like that,” he said. “Going back to Fratton on Tuesday night with the opportunity to do it in front of our longsuffering home fans is going to be a brilliant occasion.”
For seven seasons, between 2003 and 2010, this was a Premier League fixture, before Pompey dropped through the trapdoor and Bolton followed two years later.
Both have been seldom seen at the top level since after sinking to financial ruin. Both plummeted as low as League Two and have been in the fourth tier more recently than they have occupied the Championship. This ding-dong contest, played out in front of a crowd of 25,738, was a reminder of why returning to that level means so much. The two sets of supporters have tasted the Premier League elixir.
Mousinho said: “I’ve only been involved with the club for 18 months, but I can feel the sense of frustration with what the fans have gone through in the past 15 years. The club were hours from liquidation.
“I can’t quite imagine what the Pompey fans have gone through. I know how much football means to the city and I can’t wait to reward them.”
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Portsmouth are almost there. Bolton, relying on some dropped points by Derby – who beat Leyton Orient 3-0 to stay four points clear in second place having played a game more – are now living on a prayer.
Ian Evatt said: “It’s frustrating but we’re still fighting. But we haven’t lost it, you never know in football. Derby can’t afford to even draw, they have to win two games. We’ve got to be in a position to capitalise on any slip-ups.”
