Pompey 1 Northampton 2 '“ Neil Allen's match report

As his team-mates pushed on with their Fratton Park lap of appreciation, the loanee dropped behind to play with his two young daughters.

The feet-shuffling discomfort of the situation was glaring following an ill-judged tackle which ended his Fratton Park career.

Certainly the full stop has been applied to the current guise of a temporary guest from Sheffield United.

Freeman’s subsequent automatic three-match ban rules him out of the duration of the play-offs.

Having started three successive matches, the 24-year-old was at last revelling in a run in Paul Cook’s side during a low-key loan spell.

Then a two-footed lunge on John-Joe O’Toole prompted a straight red card, tellingly without a glimmer of dispute from team-mates or manager.

To think Cook had omitted Michael Doyle, Enda Stevens, Christian Burgess and Danny Hollands from his starting line-up as a precaution against injury or suspension.

Of those, three remained unused substitutes, yet their bench presence was always going to be nothing more than ornamental.

With the play-offs looming, the manager was keen to protect his key performers, irrespective of potentially losing against champions Northampton as the outcome.

No chance either of rushing back some of the walking wounded for a quick thrill of a few minutes. There are far more important goals at stake.

And while Cook applied the cotton wool around Doyle, Stevens, Burgess and Hollands, another member of his squad succeeded in ruling himself out.

A deeply frustrating conclusion when, in truth, the scoreline mattered little.

It prompted a sheepish Freeman to blush as colourfully as the Cobblers’ shirts during the post-match bond with applauding supporters.

Of course, the former Forest man presently operates as a fringe player, Davies had already been assured of a play-off place even before his recall to Saturday’s side and subsequent elevation to the role of skipper.

Having been rested for two matches in a bid to ease the aches of a veteran who has now amassed 48 appearances during the campaign, Freeman had finally found a route into the team.

Upon Davies’ return, Freeman was asked to remain – only this time in a central midfield role.

His involvement lasted 47 minutes and robs Cook not only of crucial cover at right-back but also depriving the versatile option of a player who can serve in a variety of roles.

In addition, he started both legs of Sheffield United’s unsuccessful play-off clash with Swindon in League One last term. An experience the manager hoped could be telling.

Instead a side creaking under a late-season injury flurry now has another absentee, except he is fully fit.

Best-laid plans and all that. Unfortunately for Cook, he was unable to pull all his squad out of Saturday’s sun-packed encounter.

And the result, the true result which mattered, is Freeman is now absent while, worryingly, Ben Close appears to have become another casualty.

Pompey are still assessing the degree of injury to the youngster, who had to be substituted on 60 minutes for Adam May having crumpled to the turf.

It represented a first appearance since the disappointing 1-0 defeat at Barnet in February, with Cook nudging him out of the first-team picture.

Upon a recall designed to safeguard the availability of others, the youngster from Fratton instead finds himself sidelined.

A cruel outcome for a player who continues to retain a highly-promising future with the Blues, regardless of recent omission.

Yet the visit of Chris Wilder’s side was no trifling dead rubber, for the hosts there was still the play-off fine details to be established.

Victory would have clinched fifth spot and a Fratton presence in Sunday’s second-leg. As it is, they now have the perceived disadvantage of heading to Plymouth to complete the tie.

Incidentally, Argyle warmed-up with a 5-0 demolition of a Hartlepool side defeated by Pompey the previous weekend.

For the occasion, Cook instigated five changes, of which only the return of Michael Smith to Swindon represented a decision to be enforced.

Stevens was denied the chance to start all 46 League Two fixtures this season in favour of granting Brandon Haunstrup his Football League debut.