The Barnet FC Youth Team suffered a setback in the Merit League on Saturday, going down 1-0 away to Portsmouth.

In a physical game both teams started positively and created chances early on with Mathew Stevens, Elliot Harris and Fumnaya Shomotun all going close for Barnet with Pompey also forcing a good couple of saves from Kai McKenzie-Lyle.

 

As the game progressed Barnet started to get into their rhythm, with the team controlling the game in midfield without finding a breakthrough in the final third as the score remained goalless at the break.

 

However, a sloppy start to the second half then saw Portsmouth convert a free kick from 25 yards to take a 1-0 lead.

 

Having gone a goal up Portsmouth then looked to protect their advantage by sitting deep with two banks of four, as Barnet dominated possession without creating many clear-cut chances as they struggled to execute their usual free-flowing football on a difficult playing surface.

With the coaching staff making changes to try to inject some energy into the game, Barnet pushed on to the very end, and nearly drew level with an excellent move down the right-hand side that culminated in the ball just evading the outstretched leg of Ryan Gondoh at the far post as the referee blew the full-time whistle.

Despite deserving more from the game than a narrow defeat the Youth Team remain in the upper echelons of the Merit League as they approach the halfway point of the campaign.