DEFENDER Darren Jones admits he didn’t produce a Bobby Moore performance as Newport County AFC were bullied by Barnet in midweek.

The centre-back, compared to World Cup winner Moore by teammate Janoi Donacien last week, was not alone in underperforming as County lost 3-0 at Rodney Parade on Tuesday.

And Jones knows he and the rest of the players must improve as they head to Fratton Park to play promotion-chasing Portsmouth tomorrow.

“I am upset by it. To let three goals in at home is not acceptable,” said the 32-year-old.

“It’s eating at me a little bit but in football you can put it right in the next game.

“We certainly took our foot off the gas the other night but I don’t think any of the lads think that we’re safe because we’re certainly not.

“It was a major kick up the backside. We thought Crawley was a little blip but Barnet was a real wake-up call.

“It did look like we gave up,” he added. “The gaffer is spot on with everything he said and there are a lot of us in that changing room who need to put that right on Saturday.”

Jones is confident of shaking off a thigh problem to start tomorrow afternoon and says Fratton Park is the perfect venue to bounce back.

“It’s great going down to Portsmouth,” he said. “I love playing down there and it gives us a chance to put right what we did wrong on Tuesday night.

“We can go and play without any fear. They are obviously the favourites but we can go down there and play and express ourselves.

“And their fans can turn on them as well if they’re not doing so well and 15,000 people on your back ain’t nice!

“So we’re going to go down there and try to start with a high tempo and beat them.”

On the comparisons to England legend Moore, Jones says they were never meant to go beyond the dressing room.

“That was just a bit of banter between the lads, which has obviously got out,” he explained. “It was a bit of fun – but I certainly wasn’t Bobby Moore the other night!

“The spirit between the lads is spot on but Tuesday night we just didn’t turn up.

“We should have won that. It should have been one of the easy games.

“But we’re working hard and we go down to Portsmouth in high spirits.”