Cheerful MacGillivray’s positivity brightens Portsmouth promotion mood

Others, however, may grimace at eight League One fixtures since the last victory arrived on New Year's Day against bottom club AFC Wimbledon.

The cheery Blues keeper revels in a positive mindset, the glass existing in half-full status during even the most testing of circumstances.

Promotion belief among the Fratton faithful has dipped since the turn of the year, a drop in form instigating the long-time leaders’ slide to fourth.

Now Kenny Jackett’s men face managerless Bradford, a struggling side with one victory in eight matches.

And a buoyant MacGillivray is forecasting a bright outcome.

He said: ‘I am very much a positive thinker in the sense we now have five league draws.

‘It’s obviously frustrating when you don’t pick up three points but, when you put it into perspective, flip it around into a positive six-match unbeaten run.

‘We didn’t go into the first half of the season winning every single game, we had draws in there as well. Yes, we all want three points, but the main thing is you aren’t beaten – and we haven’t lost in six games.

‘I think positively. If you are happy within yourself you generally play better.

‘I can only speak on behalf of myself, I have a positive mindset and will play a lot better using that approach than I would with a negative mindset.

‘It’s something you learn when younger in particular, only take the positives. You cannot think there’s negative, negative, negative, negative.

‘Over 90 minutes, we are not going to do everything perfectly, but you always take the positives. Yes there are things you can work on, but take the positives as the main thing going forward.

‘Six games undefeated, a win in the week to get to Wembley and we have back-to-back clean sheets.’

Pompey defeated Bury 3-0 in the Checkatrade Trophy on Tuesday evening.

It represented the Blues’ first win in nine fixtures, booking a Wembley final in the process.

For MacGillivray, another prized positive was the arrival of consecutive clean sheets – having previously waited two-and-a-half months for one.

Certainly a smile is never far from the former Shrewsbury goalkeeper.

He added: ‘When you say a positive thing it instantly has an infectious affect.

‘The thing I was taught when first entering professional football was the emotional baseline. It always has to stay at a level, never too high and never too down.

‘That is what we’ve got here. We haven’t managed three points in the last five league games, but haven't been beaten and are still picking up points.

‘And we will still go for that win on Saturday.’