Pompey were pointless after their opening seven Barclays Premier League matches and after a 1-0 defeat at Stoke yesterday have now lost 10 times in 13 games.

But with more than a third of the season gone the league's bottom side are still only four points from moving out of the relegation zone.

Hart believes their performances have warranted a greater return and insists there is a fine line in turning things around.

"We pick the bones out of it, get on again and try to get it right," said the Pompey boss after Ricardo Fuller's 74th-minute goal settled matters at the Britannia Stadium, where Kevin-Prince Boateng missed an eighth-minute penalty.

"I think we are getting there and I think we will find the answer.

"We didn't go to Stoke to sit back and try to soak it up, we went to attack and try to get a result and we have been doing that all over the place.

"We could have done with three points but we still believe we are going to get out of this."

Hart believes a closer inspection of their results - they have lost seven games by just a single goal - offers hope for the remaining six months of the season.

"We are not leaking goals. I believe we will get out of this and goal difference will be massive in the final reckoning," he added.

"No-one has really got away yet. There is a chance people will come back towards us as well and I think there will be seven to eight teams in the mix.

"We have just got to retain the confidence to turn these results into wins."

Defender Hermann Hreidarsson echoed his manager's comments, although he knows they face a tough run of games which includes Manchester United, Aston Villa, Sunderland, Chelsea, Liverpool and Arsenal before the end of the year.

"It's been the story of the season - playing the football, creating the chances, being the better side but not picking up the points," he said.

"We're still in contention but we need a little run.

"We have to turn Fratton Park into a fortress - starting on Saturday against Manchester United. We'll have a go at them."

Turning your home ground into a fortress is something Stoke boss Tony Pulis knows a lot about.

Last season the Potters claimed 35 of their 45 points at the Britannia and this campaign it is 13 out of 19 so far.

Victory over Portsmouth lifted the club to ninth, just six points off a Champions League place.

Pulis knows there is a long way to go, however.

"I always say you have to get the points to make you safe. Ideally you do it in the least number of games and then you can push on again," he said.

"Don't get too carried away with what we are doing, we are not there yet.

"The important thing is - and I keep on saying it - we need to be in this league three years to build the foundations for this club to push on.

"Money-wise that will give us the base for this club to drive forward."

Pulis also praised the attitude of £6million summer signing Tuncay Sanli, who has yet to be given a proper chance to impress.

Two weeks ago at Hull he was substituted just seven minutes after coming on when Abdoulaye Faye was sent off and yesterday he was all stripped and ready to replace Fuller when the goal went in.

He eventually made it on to the pitch with six minutes to go but Pulis said the Turkey international had not complained about his treatment.

"I wouldn't have enjoyed being put on as a substitute and taken off - I would have got the raving hump as a player," he added.

"But he has trained ever so well this week and given a bit more time he will play a big part in what we are trying to do at this club.

"I didn't see it but Mark O'Connor (first-team coach) said as soon as Ricardo scored he put his coat back on straight away and sat back in the dug-out."