Adam Webster joy after Barnet injustice

Yet for Adam Webster, frustration turned to delight on Saturday as he netted in the Blues’ crucial win.

Paul Cook’s side bounced back from the midweek defeat at The Hive with a comfortable 2-1 triumph over Cambridge United.

Marc McNulty opened the scoring on 41 minutes, before Webster struck in the second half to secure an unassailable two-goal lead.

The U’s Luke Berry reduced the deficit in stoppage time, but Pompey secured the win to lift them into fifth spot.

Joy also for Webster, who was adjudged to have felled John Akinde inside the penalty area four days earlier.

The Barnet striker picked himself up to net the only goal in a 1-0 victory – but the 21-year-old was all smiles after Cambridge.

Webster said: ‘It was fantastic to score against Cambridge, I’m just happy to help the team win.

‘I wasn’t happy against Barnet the previous match, I definitely didn’t think it was a penalty.

‘I have watched it back so many times – somebody has also tweeted me pictures – and my foot isn’t even there!

‘There is no contact, he was falling anyway. You only have to look at the shape of my body too.

‘How does a man that big go down that easily? Akinde was already falling down before I got near him, so it was really frustrating.

‘And I can’t see how the referee had a clear view of it either with so many bodies around.

‘I was gutted afterwards, it annoyed me that something so little could lose us the game. They didn’t even have many chances either, it was so disappointing.

‘So against Cambridge there was pressure, huge pressure, coming on the back end of a bad run.

‘We hadn’t done much wrong in those games, we haven’t lost many this season, and we came through it with a comfortable win.

‘We never thought we were under any pressure – so hopefully now we are past our poor spell for the rest of the season.’

Webster himself launched the move which would lead to his fifth goal in 75 Pompey appearances on Saturday.

Bringing the ball out of defence, it began an attack which saw Kyle Bennett’s right-foot shot pushed against the bar.

Webster continued his run to pop up inside the box and steer it home from close range with the outside of his left foot.

And it was a treasured moment to celebrate in front of the Fratton end.

He added: ‘There is nothing better than scoring in front of the Fratton end. I was really out of breath by the end of the celebration, I was taking my time getting back!

‘A couple of seasons ago I scored in two matches and both were in front of the Milton end so I didn’t really know where to celebrate.

‘It’s easy in front of the Fratton end, though!

‘Obviously I didn’t really expect it, you never set out thinking “I must score today” but I managed to get on the end of it.

‘Defenders hate people on the move in the box.

‘I hate it as well, so when I carried on my run that is what I tried to do – and it worked.’