Defender discusses draw at Barnet
Pompey’s attractive passing football helped them to see of Blackpool earlier in the week.
But Christian Burgess felt it was their battling qualities that ensured they secured a point against Barnet at The Hive.
Conor Chaplin lit up an otherwise dire encounter with a fine late strike to cancel out Mauro Vilhete’s free-kick.
And Burgess could tell before kick-off that the Blues were going to find it difficult to impose themselves on the contest.
The centre-back said: “In the end it was probably a good point for us. I think everybody would agree it was a scrappy game and the pitch made it hard for anyone to play football.
“Matt Clarke and I were passing the ball in the warm-up and it was going all over the place, so we knew it was going to be a problem.
“It was a game of few chances and from a defensive point of view, we have to be happy to limit them to just that free-kick.
“It’s completely different to playing at Fratton Park – it was a real battle out there. It was difficult to get the ball down and play.
“Conor’s finish was fantastic, but it was on his weaker foot, so I was thinking ‘don’t shoot, just pass it’!
“But as soon as he hit it you could see that that the ball was heading for the top corner. You need to be full of confidence to try that.
“We know it wasn’t our best performance overall, but we have to take the point and move on to Carlisle next week.”
John Akinde – who failed to score during a spell at Fratton Park in 2013 – has been prolific for Barnet this season, but could not get the better of the Blues back-line.
Burgess said: “He’s big, strong and quick – he’s a real handful and knows the game. He’s definitely tough to play against.”