Portsmouth were level on points with Manchester United at the top of the First Division when the Queen acceded to the throne. Barnet were still amateur, not turning professional until 50 years ago, not joining the Football League until 1991 and leaving it twice before returning again in April. On Saturday the sides met halfway in League Two, their first League encounter, and, though Pompey pulled historic rank and home advantage by winning 3-1 at Fratton Park, it was touch, go and feisty.
The managers all but guaranteed it. Portsmouth’s Paul Cook, appointed in May, called for “more intensity” after successive home draws. Martin Allen, a popular former Pompey player who was in the running for the job there, promised “all guns blazing.” Neither changing room was flat, both pumped up. With each man wearing his heart on flailing arms, football had little chance.
Excitement did. In the fourth minute of added time 10-man Barnet’s captain, Curtis Weston, hooked over a possible equaliser. In the fifth, the 5ft 6in Conor Chaplin, aged 18, made charlies of the giants with his second cool finish, this one past Kai McKenzie-Lyle, 17, who was bumped into action by Jamie Stephens’ second booking and injury to Graham Stack, his No2. On this frenzied showing there is nothing to choose between Pompey, now third, and Barnet, 23rd.
There were nine yellow cards in all. Stephens’ first, for time-wasting, was as early as the 30th minute after several warnings. It was delivered by Darren England from 40 yards. The second, beyond the hour, was for a foul outside his area. Twice after the interval his defence had been casual to through balls. The second time Adam McGurk found the net where Kyle Bennett found the stand. That made it 2-1. Midway through the first half Mauro Vilhete had set up Andy Yiadom to give Barnet a lead smacking of aggravated burglary but Chaplin equalised 12 minutes later.
Portsmouth, FA Cup winners in 2008 and in the Premier League until 2010, fell so quickly – three relegations in four years, each aided by points deductions – that the “Around the country” fixtures panel in their programme gives only the Premier League and League Two games as if unaware of the divisions between. But, free now from phantom owners and financial mystery, the club are smiling in the hands of the Pompey Supporters Trust and looking up. Allen and Cook had common credentials in having led clubs, Gillingham and Chesterfield, out of League Two in successive seasons. That notion of a giant waking may have persuaded Cook to drop a division.
A deal with Tesco over adjacent land has given the trust £1m for players and facilities. Cook, who came with his assistant Leam Richardson, said before the match: “The easiest thing for a manager is to tear paint off walls but that’s not for me.” A few years ago he would have been lucky to find any. There is pride again at Fratton Park.
Richardson said: “We’ve got a name already that we’re some unbeatable team in League Two. I don’t know where it’s come from but it’s respect to the players.” Certainly they are the only unbeaten side in the division. And, for those seeking good rugby omens for England, Burgess, their newcomer in central defence, looked the part, though he had played before, at Peterborough.
Allen was more than happy to sign a new open contract at Barnet, whose chairman, Tony Kleanthous, said: “We intend to go through League Two,” meaning out at the top. Not only mad dogs revisit old haunts but this is Allen’s fourth spell with them, though first at The Hive, and they seem to get on well.
The manager, puce and portlier than when last seen in the League, was less than happy with a referee who was called to speak to him after 10 minutes. A year ago Allen was drawing 2-2 in front of 1,492 at Telford. “Here,” he said, “you have 16,000 people and to be fair you have to be strong and cope with this. Little Barnet coming here, you’ve got to have a proper referee, who can make his own decisions. I didn’t think he had a good game. It was a great step up for all of us and I’m very proud of them.”
The game’s pace left little time for creativity and the Bees were more waspish than apian. “You have to have athletes in the middle of the pitch against a passing team,” said Allen. Their most penetrative pass was a ricochet that put the full-back Gavin Hoyte clear on goal. It came off the referee’s head.
