John Coleman says Stanley won’t be going to Portsmouth in their flip-flops – despite safety already being secured.

Portsmouth are ensured of a play-off spot, but unable to catch second-placed Barnsley who secured promotion in midweek as Pompey lost at home to Peterborough.

That leaves nothing riding on a game which only two weeks ago could have had a big bearing on either, or even both, ends of the table.

Coleman hoped that Portsmouth would still have something riding on the game, to add to the occasion, but wants his side to go to Fratton Park and play with freedom today (5.30pm) just as they did in last weekend’s 5-1 win over Plymouth.

“I can’t describe how I feel, but it is a relief not having to go there looking at all the games around you,” the Reds boss said.

“We want to go there and put on a show.

“It’s slightly disappointing that it became mathematically impossible for them to get in to the top two because I think it would have been an even better atmosphere.

“I think our players would have thrived on that. It will still be a sell-out in a nice stadium, on a good pitch, and a chance for our players to go and play with a bit of freedom.

“And our players are a dangerous proposition when that is the case.

“We won’t be playing with our flip-flops on. We might play with a bit more freedom because the consequence of failure isn’t as high as what it has been.

“That could make us play better, and it certainly did last weekend, the win at Doncaster allowed us to play with more freedom and I think that showed.”

Coleman says he won’t be forced to alter his selection, going in to their final game, but when asked if Kenny Jackett may mix up his Pompey side ahead of the play-offs, Coleman said: “Perhaps they might.

“I can only think of the first time we went in to the play-offs.

“We had been on the crest of an unbelievable wave and made nine changes going in to the play-offs so players didn’t get injured.

“We managed to draw the game 1-1, and although we didn’t lose and kept the unbeaten run going, the momentum we had built up, the habit of winning, was temporarily blocked.

“And we weren’t the same when we went to Stevenage.

“If I had the time again then I wouldn’t have made as many changes.”