Pompey boss Michael Appleton braced himself for his first south coast derby and pledged: We won’t let down our fans.

Pompey lock horns with fierce rivals Saints at Fratton Park on Sunday for the first time in the league since April 2005.

Appleton has only been on the south coast for five weeks – yet the occasion clearly isn’t lost on the Blues boss.

And he is adamant he and the players will be giving their all to clinch what would be a third-successive derby triumph.

He said: “I am aware of what this occasion means to everyone.

“What I can say is we will be doing are utmost to get a win for the supporters.

Everyone keeps explaining to me I will have never experienced anything like it before.

“Pretty much since the day I walked through the door everybody has been talking about this match.

“Over the last few days I have actually been trying to find out why it’s so different to other derbies.

“I wanted to understand it before I am part of it.

“I’ve been told the history of the rivalry is about the docks.

“It is amazing the amount of people who have come up to me and told me about the importance of the game.

“In Winchester the other day a couple of men wearing suits came up to me. It turned out they were Portsmouth fans and were willing us on to win.

“Even at Southampton airport yesterday a Portsmouth supporter approached me.

“I definitely understand the importance of this match.

“I will make sure the players are prepared, organised and hopefully we will get a little bit of a rub of the green on the day.

“It’s going to be a special day.”

Saints have picked up just one point from their last three matches but remain top, 17 points ahead of the Blues.

Pompey head into the fixture on the back of two successive wins.

Yet Appleton added: “The league table does not lie. People would probably say Southampton are not in the best of form, but the table says at present they are the best team.

“They have two or three match winners, which sometimes is the difference at this level.”