Pompey moved to within a point of League Two leaders Leyton Orient with a come-from-behind home win over Martin Allen's Barnet.
Conor Chaplin scored twice on his first league start and Adam McGurk celebrated his call-up to the side with the other as the Bees lost their sting.
Jayden Stockley and Gareth Evans were the pair to make way for Chaplin and McGurk as Paul Cook carried out his promise to freshen up the side after the 0-0 draw with Accrington.
The opening stages largely had the teams cancelling each other out but Barnet took the lead on 25 minutes when Andy Yiadom was left unmarked to stroke in Mauor Vilhete's set-up.
Eight minutes before the break, Chaplin kept his cool to control a loose ball following Gary Roberts' free-kick into the box and hammered it past Bees keeper Jamie Stephens - a fine way to mark his full league debut.
It didn't take Pompey long in the second half to stamp their authority on proceedings.
McGurk set up Kyle Bennett for a chance that he blazed over, then he turned from provider of chances to finisher when he latched on to Adam Webster's pass to score.
Barnet were furious that the goal was allowed to stand, for Bennett had been flagged offside in the lead-up to the goal. But the referee ruled McGurk was not interfering with play so the goal was good.
Barnet and boss Allen's mood was not improved midway through the half when keeper Stephens was sent off for a second booking given for fouling Bennett - his first yellow had been in the first half for time-wasting, a lesson there perhaps for many League Two teams who seem to like coming to Fratton Park just to keep the ball out of play for as long as they can.
The visitors had few sniffs of an equaliser and Chaplin wrapped it up in injury time when he ran on to a goal kick and coolly slotted past sub keeper Kai McKenzie-Lyle.
The points put Pompey third, level on 15 with Plymouth and one behind Orient. They go to Oxford next Saturday.
Assistant boss Leam Richardson told the PFC website: 'When some sides go behind that’s the way it stays, but our lads have got a fair bit of belief in themselves and our philosophy. It was good officiating for our second. The linesman put his flag up for a guy who wasn’t interfering with play and it was an intelligent run from Adam who finished very well.
'We got the result we wanted, but there is still plenty of work that needs to be done and we won’t get carried away.'
Pompey: Murphy; Davies, Burgess, Clarke (Evans 68), Stevens; Atangana, Doyle; Roberts (Webster 46), Chaplin, Bennett; McGurk (Tubbs 80). Subs not used: Jones, Tollitt, Hollands, Naismith
Referee: Darren England
Attendance: 16,217 (413 away fans)
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