Barton pleased to finally make his Blues bow
He has had to kick his heels on the sidelines ever since joining Pompey earlier in the summer.
A groin problem meant that Adam Barton did not even feature in any pre-season encounters.
But, playing in an unfamiliar centre-back role, he finally got a taste of action in a Johnstone’s Paint Trophy defeat at Exeter.
And it was a relief for Barton to finally pull on a Blues shirt for the first time.
He said: “I’m happy to get the 90 minutes under my belt – that was the most important thing for me.
“I’ve never had a groin injury in my life, so to come here and get one in pre-season was frustrating.
“It’s not great to be sat in the stands watching games, but it’s given me a chance to see what the atmosphere at Fratton is like.
“I’ve been working hard with the physios and now I feel absolutely fine and raring to go.
“I was playing out of position, but at this moment I was just after the game time.
“This match was another step forward for me – although hopefully next time it’ll be in the centre of midfield.”
Barton was part of a fresh-faced side that featured just three starters over the age of 21 and was impressed with Pompey’s young talent.
He said: “It’s hard for the young lads stepping up and they need support from the senior players. If they make a mistake you just get on with it.
“It’s a massive step from youth side to first team, but this game showed that some of them have got what it takes.
“Not many kids can say they’ve made their debuts at such a young age and it’s a big learning curve for them.
“Credit to the manager for giving them a chance against a strong Exeter side and they stood up to the challenge well.”