Conor Chaplin kept up his blossoming rise to the top with two more goals on his first league start of the season. Pompey’s newest boy wonder hit two clinical finishes either side of McGurks’ controversial goal.
Pompey were looking to get a win on home turf after two draws on the trot, Martin Allen’s Barnet though came with aspirations of their own, playing a full part in an open game.
Pompey started with their usual possession game, McGurk looking particularly lively, while Atangana again repaid the faith Paul Cook has shown in him.
Referee England was annoying the home fans with a series of decisions against Pompey, he was also rather card happy, not needing a second invitation to flash a yellow, Clarke getting an early one after an innocuous foul.
Roberts gave Pompey a real scare when he went down unchallenged in the box, he looked in some discomfort but carried on after some physio love.
Barnet took the lead around the half hour when Yiadom arrived in the box unmarked to finish from Vilhete’s cut back, it was a poor goal from Pompey’s point of view, reflecting back to the defensive lapses against Morecambe.
Pompey continued to press, and Pompey’s pint sized powerhouse ( lovely use of puns there) fired Pompey level after picking up the loose ball from Roberts’ free kick.
Shortly after the break Bennett missed an absolute golden chance to take the lead, he was played in and was clean through, but his finish lacked any direction as he blazed over.
Shortly after and McGurk showed how to do it, the linesman flagged for offside against Bennett, but the ref overruled him and with the Barnet defence stationary he slotted inside the post to put Pompey ahead.
Bennett was still being a handful even after his miss, it was he who got on the end of another through ball which ended with Stephens in the Barnet goal upending him, the ‘keeper paid the price for his needless booking for time wasting early on, the ref flashed another of his cherished yellow cards and off he went.
Pompey went into keep ball mode now, playing like a poor mans Barcelona, Tubbs though did force Mackenzie- Lyle into a good tip over with academy player now in the goal.
Pompey almost conceded a late equaliser when the failed to clear the box again, a loose ball being narrowly flicked over the bar, but with ref about to blow, Chaplin burst clear once more and again clinically finished to add gloss to the score.
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