Cook relief at late Pompey leveller

Paul Cook applauds the Pompey fans at the final whsitle Picture: Joe Pepler

The Blues today headed to The Hive on the back of successive victories, yet never looked capable of adding to that.

Pompey’s boss brought on Conor Chaplin and Danny Rose at half-time following an awful opening 45 minutes – and it was the former who came to their rescue.

Mauro Vilhete’s free-kick on 82 minutes appeared to have given Kevin Nugent victory in his first match in charge.

Yet on 89 minutes, Chaplin crashed a wonderful right-foot effort from 25 yards into the top corner for the leveller.

And Cook was delighted to end the week with seven points from a possible nine.

He said: ‘Our display was probably similar to the game, it was bitty, scrappy, and we never got going really.

‘Then a fantastic finish from Conor and it’s great to end a game like that in front of your away fans.

‘It’s a little point and the points all add up. Keep believing in what you are doing, there are plenty of home games, plenty of away games, plenty of opportunities to get points.

‘A defeat today would have said we’d had a poor week after a bad week – but when you take seven points out of three games you must be happy.

‘Barnet are a good side, they were trying to pass and play and found it as difficult as us on that playing surface.’