Dave Whelan might want to reassess his readiness to allow supporters in for free at times next season if Wigan Athletic continue to produce effervescent performances of this ilk, which was worthy of an inflated admission price.

The Wigan chairman is keen to redistribute some of the millions that the club earn from their membership of the Barclays Premier League to repay fans for their continued loyalty. However, it was Portsmouth who ought to consider reimbursing their followers for a fruitless 500-mile round trip in the wake of an overly languid end to the campaign.

It was one summed up by the at times bizarre postmatch press conference performance by Paul Hart, the caretaker manager, who will learn at a board meeting this week if he will be entrusted with the job on a long-term basis.

Asked where helping to keep the club up this season ranked in his managerial achievements, a deadpan Hart said: “If you look at my CV, there’s not been many achievements on it anyway.”

Hardly one to be accused of hyperbole, he added: “We’ve done a job, but a pat on the back is only six inches from a kick up the a***.”

Portsmouth, who on this evidence are justifiably without an away goal for 8½ hours, were outclassed and the only criticism of the home side was their inability to reward their dominance with more than the single goal Hugo Rodallega walked into the net from two yards. The Colombia striker capitalised after Sol Campbell, on his final appearance for the visiting team, failed to deal with Charles N’Zogbia’s 27th-minute cross at the near post, in the process wrong-footing his goalkeeper, Asmir Begovic.

A first victory in eight games secured an eleventh-place finish for Wigan, who would have won with more to spare but for Begovic, and Rodallega firing into the side-netting when he was released by Antonio Valencia, the winger who is bound for Real Madrid, after the break. “If you look at some of the clubs relegated to-day, for a club like us to finish eleventh is quite an achievement,” said Steve Bruce, Wigan’s Geordie manager, who felt Newcastle United’s relegation more than most.

Wigan Athletic (4-4-2): R Kingson 6 – M Melchiot 6, E Boyce 6, T Bramble 7, M Figueroa 6 – A Valencia 7, L Cattermole 7, M Brown 6, C N’Zogbia 7 (sub: C McManaman, 77min) – D de Ridder 4 (sub: J Routledge, 90), H Rodallega 7. Substitutes not used: M Pollitt, E Edman, B Watson, Cho Won Hee, T Kupisz.

Portsmouth (4-5-1): A Begovic 5 – Y Kaboul 4 (sub: Kanu, 73), S Campbell 5, S Distin 5, H Hreidarsson 4 – J Pennant 3 (sub: J Thomas, 72), H Mullins 4, J Utaka 5, R Hughes, A Traoré 6 – P Crouch 4.Substitutes not used: J Ashdown, L Primus, A Basinas, M Cranie, N Pamarot. Booked: Hreidarsson, Hughes, Crouch, Thomas.

Referee P Dowd Attendance 17,696

Players of the season

Wigan Athletic Wilson Palacios

A powerful tackler and decent passer, the midfield player left for Tottenham Hotspur in January and Wigan’s season disintegrated.

Portsmouth Peter Crouch

Rather than sulk after Liverpool let him leave, the forward has shown his class whether playing as a single striker or with a partner.