Burton boss Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink was delighted to see Tom O’Connor and Daniel Jebbison score their first goals for the club as the Brewers piled on the agony for Portsmouth with a 2-1 win.

Both sides were on six-game winless runs in the league but it was the Brewers’ intensity and cutting edge that saw them through to the delight of their boss.

“It is just great to score but it is top for them (O’Connor and Jebbison) and even better that we have three points,” Hasselbaink smiled.

“We finished strong against Lincoln but we needed to react and come back strong and to have a good team performance and make it really hard for the opposition and I think we did that.

“We played more in their half and put good energy into our pressing and we tried to punish them. I think if you analyse the game overall we got what we deserved. A brilliant performance giving us something to work from.”

Albion had a 2-0 lead for just three minutes and Hasselbaink was pleased with how his side responded to the quick-fire reply from Pompey substitute Reeco Hackett-Fairchild, who scored with his first touch from a free kick.

“You want to settle yourself in for 10 minutes but we responded really well, really mature and didn’t really give chances away,” he added. “They are a very good side but we deserved the three points.

“It was very important. You want the recognition when you are working hard and today was one of those days when all the hard work paid off and we got our rewards.”

Portsmouth boss Danny Cowley cut a frustrated figure post-match as he reflected on his sides’ propensity for playing out from the back costing them dear as Albion pressed high and forced an error leading to O’Connor’s goal.

“The first goal is a really poor one from us. A technical error.” Cowley said.

“It does happen when you try and play this way and the second one is a super finish from the boy but we were the masters of our own downfall today.”

Cowley made a triple substitution in the wake of going 2-0 down but, despite a quick goal, bemoaned the performance.

“We wanted some intensity and energy and some passion and I thought the boys that came on did give us that but there are not many positives to take from that tonight,” Cowley added.

“I am disappointed. You work really hard and you don’t get your rewards so that hurts and I think that the people of Portsmouth deserve a better team than the one that we are giving them at the moment.

“We have to be big enough to take the criticism, take it on the chin and find the solutions to respond and that is what we will do.”