Paul Hart has asked his players for a big Fratton Park finish to the season, despite admitting his own future at the club is uncertain.

Newcastle's home defeat by Fulham on Saturday - former Pompey star Diomansy Kamara scoring the only goal - means the team Hart has been attempting to pull out of relegation trouble for the past four months are now guaranteed to have top-flight football next year.

Hart, whose only unavailable injured player is midfielder Niko Kranjcar, will field his strongest available side against Sunderland, even though this last home game of the season is purely academic to Pompey - if not their fellow-strugglers.

The 56-year-old director of youth development, still waiting for an official offer to extend his managerial command beyond the end of the season, maintains: "We owe it to ourselves and our supporters to make it a big finish. The cash awards for final positions are important of course but we always said we would go for it right to the last minute of the last match and that's what we will be doing even though the fact we are safe is a big relief to all connected with the club.

"As of now my own situation is unchanged. I haven't a clue what happens next with the manager's role but to be honest my wife Vicky didn't want me to take it in the first place because she's seen what can happen to someone when results don't work out.

"At first it was for just a couple of days training and then one match - but it's gone on from there and although it's been a tough challenge the response of the players has made it palatable. But I've still got two years of my youth director's contract to go and hopefully I'll be here next season whatever happens."