It was a bright spot on an extremely disappointing night for Pompey.
George Byers made his full debut at Bristol Rovers earlier in the week and produced several fine passes, one of which played a key role in a goal for John Marquis.
Ultimately, however, it was not enough to prevent the Blues from suffering a setback in their promotion aspirations.
But despite the 3-1 defeat, Byers was pleased to be on the pitch for the start and is now eager for more.
The on-loan Swansea midfielder said: “It was a poor result and we’re looking to put that right, but on a personal note, it was nice to get my first start.
“The team has been doing really well this season and we’re in a good place at the moment, so I knew it wasn’t going to be a case of coming straight into the team.
"You’ve always got to look at what you need to do to get into the team and so I’ve been training hard and keeping myself fit."
“I had to stay patient, but have had a few minutes now off the bench and have done okay when I’ve played.
“You’ve always got to look at what you need to do to get into the team and so I’ve been training hard and keeping myself fit.”
Pompey will be searching for a better outcome when they welcome mid-table Blackpool to the south coast this weekend.
Byers said: “You can have bad games, the important thing is how you bounce back from them, so we’ll be looking for a reaction on Saturday.
“The mad thing about this league is that there’s a game every few days. Once one is over, you start thinking about the next.
“It’s such a quick turnaround that there’s no time to dwell on poor results and the boys are back in positive spirits.
“There are a lot of points still to play for and it’s a big match for us against Blackpool, although it will be a tough test.”