DAVID PRUTTON is hoping that winning and losing becomes habit-forming for Saints and Pompey for the rest of the Premiership campaign.

The in-form Saints midfielder is looking forward to a welcome break from league activities when the sides meet in the second south coast derby of the season for a place in the fifth round of the FA Cup at St Mary's on Saturday.

Saints' need to avoid relegation is paramount and, after some poor recent results at Fratton Park, there is a feeling Pompey could yet be dragged into the desperate scrap for survival.

But in terms of confidence, much could depend on the result of the derby.

And Prutton, left, is hoping Pompey, and maybe even a few other teams, pick up a losing feeling and the table opens up again around the bottom.

Pompey are currently nine points ahead of Saints but have picked up only one point out of their last 15 and have sold midfielders Nigel Quashie and Amdy Faye in the past week.

Quashie rejoined Harry Redknapp at St Mary's last week while Faye completed a move to Newcastle yesterday.

Prutton said: "You do get into a winning habit and we need that because we need to pick up wins.

"Getting a win against Pompey would help that.

"I'd love them to be dragged in (to the relegation scrap). They've had a few dodgy results and if they get dragged in, the more the merrier.

"Not for them in particular but the more teams that are down there, you get a couple of wins and you're out of it - so it's better for us."

Prutton was left out of the side for the last derby at St Mary's in mid-November but is the first to admit that Saturday's BBC televised tie is no ordinary game.

"It is different because you hear the noise when you come out of the tunnel and it's phenomenal," said the midfielder, who scored the opener in a man-of-the-match performance against Liverpool last Saturday.

"You get into football to show how passionate you are for the club you play for.

"Once you're on the pitch it's all or nothing.

"You obviously hear the fans but it's down to you to keep your head down.

"It is tough when you feel passionate about what you do and the players do realise what it means to the fans as well.

"It's huge.

"You do have to show a certain amount of strength and a certain amount of maturity as well.

"It's always better to be on the pitch than being sent off, which I've had before and the feeling of letting your mates down isn't nice."

He added: "Portsmouth are a threat and we'll treat them like any other game.

"We do know how important it is to the fans and the city and it's just as important to us.

"I was gutted I missed the last one. I didn't necessarily agree that I should have been left out but that's the way it was and I've got a chance to play now and it should be good.

"Hopefully it's a game that's ideal for somebody like me.

"If you get into a winning habit you can't knock it and if we carry our form from the Liverpool game into this match it will help us."