He netted his first goal in a Pompey shirt.
But it ultimately proved to be a frustrating evening for Matty Kennedy at a wet and windy Northampton.
The winger had reduced the Blues’ deficit with a neat finish early in the second half, only for the Cobblers to secure a 3-1 victory.
And Kennedy was annoyed that the visitors were unable to convert their dominance into a positive result.
The winger said: “There are obviously mixed emotions. The main thing was to get three points, especially after the victory at the weekend.
“It’s hard because we played well and had a lot more crosses and chances than the opposition.
"There were a lot of positives, even if we’re disappointed with the result."
“So it just wasn’t to be for us, but obviously I’m delighted to get off the mark for the season and hopefully I can contribute a lot more to the team.
“The ball dropped nicely for me and sometimes you just catch it. It was a good goal to be fair.
“I was getting the ball across before the break, but at half-time they told me to take the man on a bit more.
“That’s what I did and obviously I got the goal, which gives the whole team more confidence, as well as the fans.
“Northampton then broke on us and got their third to kill the game off, but there were a lot of positives, even if we’re disappointed with the result.
“We’ve got a young team and consistency is a big thing in football, but I’m sure that we’ll click sooner rather than later.”