³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ

Achieving Championship survival this season will "taste all the better for the suffering" Portsmouth are currently experiencing, according to winger Matt Ritchie.

The Blues remain bottom of the table and slipped to a seventh league defeat of the season on Tuesday as they lost 1-0 away at Plymouth Argyle.

"We have to perform, we have to find a new level and more," Ritchie told ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Radio Solent.

"If by the end of the season we can achieve our goal of staying in the Championship then it will taste all the better for the suffering we’re going through now.

"Nothing worth achieving is going to be easy, we have to keep believing."

Despite producing an encouraging performance at ³ÉÈË¿ìÊÖ Park against one of their fellow strugglers, Portsmouth found themselves on the losing side once again.

Since his summer move from Newcastle United, Ritchie has struggled to get minutes on the pitch, starting only one league game at home to Sunderland before the end of October.

However, after impressing in a late substitute appearance against Sheffield Wednesday, the 35-year-old has earned himself back-to-back starts in a draw away at Hull City and Tuesday's defeat at Argyle.

"No one's going to help us, we have to help ourselves internally," Ritchie added.

"We have to work hard, nothing’s going to get us out of this position we find ourselves in other than hard work, desire and mentality to stick together.

"We will dust ourselves down and go again. The wonderful thing about the Championship is we now have a game on Saturday, it's a great opportunity to get three points and that's what we'll be trying to do."

Pompey next face another of their fellow strugglers when Preston North End travel to Fratton Park on Saturday.

The Lilywhites have five more points than Portsmouth this campaign and sit two points outside the relegation zone in 21st.