Portsmouth boss John Mousinho said he would allow himself a celebratory beer after a 1-0 win at home to 10-man Watford secured their Championship status.
Colby Bishop scored his 11th goal of the season to guarantee survival in the second tier with two games to spare.
Mousinho said: “I will definitely have a beer tonight, 100 per cent. I think it’s a brilliant achievement.
“I don’t want to downplay how big an achievement it is, but it’s just the next sort of building block in terms of where we need to go as a football club to make sure we’ve established ourselves.
“When we spoke this time last year about the ambitions for this season, I was consistent in saying the most important thing is when we’re speaking this time next year, that we’re still a Championship football club.
“Now we can go again and just try and improve on where we’ve been this year. I think if you look back at that from a year ago, it’s a really impressive feat.”
Pompey took the lead in the 25th minute when Egil Selvik could only parry Josh Murphy’s cross on to Bishop’s head.
Watford goalkeeper Selvik saved Bishop’s initial effort but Pompey’s star striker reacted quickest to head the loose ball home from point-blank range.
The Hornets slowly worked their way into the contest and Imran Louza’s 30-yard effort was kept out by the crossbar.
Bishop should have doubled his and the hosts’ tally when Freddie Potts put a wonderful cross straight onto his head only to be denied by another smart stop from the busy Selvik.
Watford’s hopes of a comeback looked over when they were reduced to 10 men in the 57th minute as Kevin Keben was dismissed for taking out Murphy with a professional foul.
Bishop passed up another decent chance when he miscued a header but the hosts held firm.
Watford manager Tom Cleverley said: “I don’t think there’s enough consequences at this club for not doing your job at times. Our fanbase are very respectful. Our media is very local.
“I’ve played for clubs where that is not the case, and as a player you feel like you have to perform and we have to win, or else there will be consequences for the next six days of my life. Whether that is walking down the street or picking up a newspaper.
“I felt that made me better, because I knew there were consequences for my all-round life for not doing my job on a Saturday.
“We have to work like every day is Saturday and win at all costs, and it’s life or death.”
