Stunning Portsmouth goal that never was - but Anton Walkes is smiling

Positioned just outside the box, Anton Walkes’ clever lob cleared Stevenage’s keeper, yet agonisingly cannoned off the bar.

A goal of the season contender in July – if only it had entered the net.

Cruel on Walkes, whose second-half moment of brilliance lit up a lacklustre and largely lifeless pre-season encounter at the League Two club.

By that stage, Ronan Curtis’ header from Jamal Lowe’s cross had already settled a drab contest which finished 1-0.

Meanwhile, Walkes was left to reflect on the stunning goal which never was.

He said: ‘I don’t know what I was thinking!

‘Things were going well at that moment, so I got out of a tight gap and there wasn’t really much on so I thought I would go for the spectacular.

‘It came close to going in, but sometimes they go in, sometimes they don’t. I caught everyone by surprise, even myself!

‘I thought it had a good chance of entering the net, I got good contact on it, an inch lower and it ends up in the back of the net.’

Saturday’s Lamex Stadium encounter represented another chance to impress at right-back.

And Walkes is targeting more first-team involvement in the season ahead.

He added: I want to play more games than I did last year, I had a few niggles which held me back a little bit.

‘Every shirt is up for grabs in our team, not one is secure because things change all the time in football.’