Anyone of a Pompey persuasion would have felt the tension in the closing stages at Oakwell on Tuesday night.
But Paddy Lane was always confident that they would hold on to claim the 3-2 victory that takes them to top spot in the League One standings.
The winger had earlier doubled the visitors’ advantage just a few seconds after Colby Bishop had opened the scoring from the penalty spot.
Connor Ogilvie then extended the lead further, but the Reds netted twice after the break to ensure a nervy finale.
A tiring Lane was taken off for the final stages and had to watch from the sidelines as the Blues came under pressure.
He said: “I can’t say that I was enjoying the last 10 minutes when I was sat on the bench watching the boys!
“But I had full trust that we could get the three points at what’s a difficult place to visit and we’re top of the table.
"I know what a journey it is to get up here, so I want to say how good they were. I could also see my mum and dad going nuts, so it was unreal."
“We know we’ve got that in us and it’s just about making sure everyone’s at it. We had confidence and that showed.
“I’ve been itching to get my first goal this season and it was extra special that it was in front of the Pompey fans.
“I know what a journey it is to get up here, so I want to say how good they were. I could also see my mum and dad going nuts, so it was unreal.
“I actually had a celebration planned with Ryley, but in the moment when the ball went in, I forgot to do it!
“We all knew what was coming in the second half and that Barnsley would come at us, but the goals in the first half secured the points.
“Everyone we had out there produced everything – we put in a shift. We dug deep and defended the box.
“We’ve got these results on the road over the past few days and now we need to follow them up at home to Lincoln.”