Former Blues midfielder Lee Evans secured promotion from League One for a second successive year as Portsmouth, the club he joined in March after leaving the Blues, claimed the title and a place in next year’s Championship this evening.

Evans made his second start and fourth appearance in total for Pompey as they defeated Barnsley 3-2 at Fratton Park this evening, taking them seven points ahead of second-placed Derby County.

The 29-year-old left Town at the end of January by mutual consent still a few weeks away from fitness following knee surgery earlier in the season.

The Wales international was unlikely to play much of a part for the Blues in the remaining months of the season and found himself the 26th man with Championship clubs only able to name 25 senior players in their EFL squad.

Evans has now been involved with four sides winning promotion from League One. In addition to Pompey this season and Town last year, Evans won the title with Wolves in 2013/14 and was on loan with Wigan in the first half of 2017/18 when they also won the division before being loaned to Sheffield United for the second half of that campaign.

Portsmouth manager John Mousinho said recently that Evans, who signed a deal to the end of the season, could well stay at Fratton Park for next season.

“Absolutely, we’re open-minded,” he said. “That was part of the conversation in January, to see how things go and then look at where we are off the back of that.

“Lee’s obviously on a free transfer in the summer, so that will be something we review off the back end of the season.

“I think, to be honest, and I don’t want to speak for Lee, but it felt pretty good both ways for Portsmouth to bring in a player of Lee’s stature who’d been promoted out of this league last year.

“Then for Lee to be able to sign on a free for a club like Portsmouth, who are in the mix to go up, it just worked brilliantly well for both parties.

“So that was the most important thing, to get Lee back involved in football and you can tell he’s got a massive enthusiasm for the game - and it’s brilliant having him around.”

Former Blues loanee Will Norris was also in the Pompey side and was named in the League One Team of the Season at the EFL Awards at the weekend.

Elsewhere, in the Championship, Southampton beat Preston 3-0 to move within three points of third-placed Leeds, four from Leicester in second and five points off the Blues at the top with a game in hand on Town and the Whites.

Photo: Matchday Images

Gforce added 23:40 - Apr 16 By the time.we kick another ball Southampton could be 4 points clear of us. Hopefully not,but on their current form,it could happen. I think we are going to have to win,at least one of our away games,plus our final home game to guarantee top 2.
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magnus68 added 01:36 - Apr 17 I think soton is winning in our favour, keeps motivated to setup Leeds and leciester. If we can’t keep Soton off our back we should not get up.
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bobble added 05:08 - Apr 17 saints will damage our opponents...
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MK1 added 05:10 - Apr 17 All our lot will be celebrating a double promotion in the coming weeks.
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pennblue added 06:54 - Apr 17 agreed, if we have not secured promotion by the last game, then we need Southampton to be in with a shout come that last game, else they will just rest players
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johnwarksshorts added 07:24 - Apr 17 Congratulations Lee, hope you get another contract with Pompey.
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terryf added 08:06 - Apr 17 My nephew will be well pleased watching his Team win League One in the 89th minute. Would imagine scenes similar to our win in the 97th minute against Southampton. Pompey would have enjoyed that result for us as well!! Obviously Lee Evans is a lucky charm for Teams trying to get out of that awful division!!
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ITFCOYB added 12:48 - Apr 17 Poor blighter must be wondering what he has to do to stay out of League 1! Congratulations Evo - i still think ITFC miss your distribution and i'm gutted your progress under McKenna was so cruelly cut short. Good luck for a proper season in the Champ if you can agree new terms with Pompey.
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KiwiBlue2 added 00:19 - Apr 18 Good to see Evans doing well. He deserves it. I hope that he starts the new season fully fit and ready to go. It will be interesting to see how Portsmouth go in the Championship next season.
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Linkboy13 added 10:01 - Apr 19 McKenna seems very reluctant to play Travis i think a fully fit Evans would have been more involved but nice to hear he's settled in well at Portsmouth.
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