A player called Chaplin scored two but it was no laughing matter for Barnet as a brace from Portsmouth’s Conor secured a 3-1 win at Fratton Park with goalkeeper Jamie Stephens sent off for the Bees.

Andy Yiadom started in the centre of midfield for the first time as Gavin Hoyte returned to right-back in the only change for the visitors.

Luke Gambin and Mauro Vilhete began on the flanks with John Akinde the lone striker for Martin Allen’s men.

Barnet took a shock lead at the home of the former Premier League side after 25 minutes through Yiadom. However, they were pegged back when Conor Chaplin equalised eight minutes before half time.

Adam McGurk then completed the turnaround early in the second half before goalkeeper Stephens was dismissed for a second yellow card, ending the Bees’ hopes of taking something from their trip to the South Coast.

Chaplin then made sure of the points late on with a second in injury time for the hosts.

The hosts had the first chance of a tight first half, Ben Davies crossing from the right for  striker McGurk, who could only head wide.

Barnet had a penalty appeal turned down in the 11th minute after Gambin went to ground following contact inside the Pompey penalty area. The referee waved away the appeals, though.

In the 25th minute the Bees took a shock lead through Yiadom. Vilhete got down the right-hand flank, where Yiadom would normally have been himself, and slung in a cross for the vice-captain to side-foot past former Queens Park Rangers goalkeeper Brian Murphy.

Crucially in the final reckoning, Barnet keeper Stephens was then booked in the 29th minute for time wasting.

Eight minutes before the break Paul Cook's men found an equaliser. A Gary Roberts free-kick from the left was knocked down and Chaplin, in just his first league start of the season, escaped the attentions of Curtis Weston to slam low past Stephens.

The Bees carved out two more chances before the half was out. Vilhete shot wide first before the returning Hoyte got into an advanced position but failed to test Murphy from an acute angle.

Portsmouth really ought to have gone in front after just six minutes of the second half but former Doncaster Rovers winger Kyle Bennett contrived to slam over after advancing into the penalty area to meet Stephens one-on-one.

It mattered little, though, as three minutes later the hosts were in front. 

A through ball from half-time substitute Adam Webster found McGurk and the former Burton Albion hot shot fired home to put the hosts in front for the first time.

In the 65th minute things went from bad to worse for the Bees with backup keeper Stephens giving his marching orders after picking up a second yellow.

An offside looking Bennett raced through and that prompted Stephens to come off his line and fell the the summer signing.

That meant a league debut for 17-year-old Kai McKenzie-Lyle with striker John Akinde sacrificed.

McKenzie-Lyle, a member of last season's title winning Under-18s side, coped with everything thrown at him in the remaining 25 minutes, tipping over a Chaplin header soon after his arrival.

But in injury time the homegrown striker got his second of the afternoon and fourth of the season - following two efforts in the League Cup - by slotting past the towering McKenzie-Lyle after being played clean through.

Portsmouth: Murphy; B.Davies, Burgess, Clarke (Evans 68), Stevens; Doyle (c), Atangan; Chaplin, Roberts (Webster HT), Bennett; McGurk (Tubbs 79).

Subs: Jones (GK), Naismith, Tollitt, Hollands.

Barnet: Stephens; Hoyte, N’Gala, Dembele, Johnson; Vilhete (Muggleton 58), Yiadom, Togwell, Weston (c), Gambin (Gash 58); Akinde (McKenzie-Lyle 67).

Subs: Nelson, Tomlinson, Champion, McLean.

Referee: Darren England.

Attendance: 16,217 (413 away supporters)