The referee changed the game when he rewarded a penalty and sent Linvoy Primus was sent off for 'violent conduct' despite not touching Mike Sheron. It was a bitter blow for the Blue's who had witnessed a striking performance of true qualitity from Robert Prosinecki.
Rix started the game with many Pompey fans first choice team. Crouch alone upfront, Pitt and Harper on the wings, Prosinecki in the hole, Derry and O'Neil in the middle and a back four of Zamperini, Primus, Buxton and Crowe. Beasant kept goal. Despite looking good on paper, Beasant, Crowe and O'Neil had shocking games - Beasant frequently dropping the ball and maintaining his worse record than Yoshi, O'Neil floating through the match without ever making a contribution and Crowe surprisingly poor playing at right back.
The game got off to a cracking start when Prosinecki converted a penalty after a maurauding Pitt was hacked down in the area. 1-0 up and it should of been more when Harper and Pitt were both guilty of missing guilt edge chances as well as squandering a lot of space of the wings.
Barnsley didn't give up and responded by equalising with a wonderful curling shot into the top corner from outside the box. Pompey seemed to give Barnsley a lot of space on the edge of the box and were certainly punished with the equaliser. The game from here then went into a lull - despite the 4-4 scoreline, the match was not as exciting as you would think, infact Pompey didn't really play that well and they were overshadowed by a performance of majesty by Prosinecki.
With half time fast approaching, Linvoy Primus - in better spirits than he would be forty minutes later - headed in a Pitt cross in the best time that Pompey could possibly score.
However two minutes into the second half Barnsley equalised again and Pompey were back to square one. This was not good enough for Prosinecki who had teased the Fratton Faithful with wonderful flicks and passes and suddenly the Croatian produced the main course and very nearly the desert. Bang on the hour mark he embarked on a wonderful teasing run, perplexing four Barnsley players on the edge of the box, before rifling a left foot shot into the far corner - it was a moment of true class and it was going to get better for the Croat when he lined up a free kick eight minutes later.
Everyone in the ground knew where he was going to put the ball, everyone on the pitch had a good idea but only one man could of actually done it. A beautiful curling free kick was inch perfect as it rippled the top corner of the net and Prosinecki charged into the Fratton End, kissing his crest in pure delight.
4-2 up and Pompey were cruising - some players couldn't do anything but cruise, with Prosinecki in particular absolutely knackered. The Croat could hardly walk and it should of been the time for Mladen Rudonja to inject some pace into Pompey's flailing attack. Rix is accused of being tactically naive but the fact is, is that he's not quick enough in making decisions. Turbo was stripped off but far too late and the penalty meant he was sent back to the bench.
In the dying moments of the game, Linvoy Primus was sent of for punching Mike Sheron. Anyone who knows Linvoy knows that he is the last person to punch anyone and it was a baffling decision. With the game at 4-3 Pompey really were on a knife edge but Pompey shouldn't of given away three points and it was sloppy defending that caused it.
Pompey now must take the positives from this match and try and add some consistency to their game for the rest of the season.