Southampton 1 Portsmouth 4

All five goals came in a frantic 19 minute period in the second half but the scoreline did not really reflect the game which was keenly contested throughout.

The difference between the teams proved to be the extra quality in front of goal that Pompey possessed as they clinically finished their chances while Saints let a few slip them by in a first half in which they were the better team.

Saints made a bright start to the game and got Portsmouth quickly on the back foot with Michail Antonio’s long throws an instant threat.

Morgan Schneiderlin had the first effort on goal on nine minutes when Rickie Lambert’s right wing free kick was cleared to just outside the area but he leant back and fired his half volley over the bar.

Papa Waigo should have given Saints the lead just a minute later when he peeled off at the far post to find himself with time and space six yards out.

Lambert picked him out perfectly with a left wing cross but Waigo’s downward header was weak and David James was able to get down quickly to his left to keep it out.

Jamie O’Hara had Portsmouth’s first shot on 14 minutes with a 30 yard free kick that curled wide of Kelvin Davis’ goal.

Waigo was in action again moments later but tried to take the ball down when he needed a first time shot and that allowed James to snaffle the ball.

Radhi Jaidi was happy to see Davis collect the ball on 19 minutes as he intercepted O’Hara’s whipped left wing cross with his shoulder and it could have gone anywhere but bounced kindly for the Saints keeper to take.

O’Hara forced Davis into a much tougher save on 23 minutes as he struck a half volley goalwards from 30 yards which was beautifully struck but was straight down the middle and the keeper dived to tip it over the bar.

Saints were dominating the possession and the pressure.

Portsmouth looked content to try and soak it up and use their pace against a comparatively slow back four on the counter attack but Saints were defending well.

O’Hara tried his luck from a quick break on 32 minutes, hitting Papa Bouba Diop’s backheel first time but it went wide.

Jaidi had a golden opportunity to give Saints the lead on 34 minutes as James came to collect Lambert’s corner but let it squirm through his hands.

The ball came quickly to the big centre half but from just a couple of yards out he steered his header over the bar.

James had to be rather sharper three minutes later to push away Lambert’s flick on from Antonio’s long throw before Adam Lallana could meet the ball to finish.

Saints threatened again just before the break when a corner went into a melee of players and was won by Wayne Thomas but it bounced kindly for Pompey who were able to clear.

When the half time whistle blew the game was goalless but Saints had the heart of knowing they had had Portsmouth on the back foot for the majority of the first 45 minutes.

Saints could have got a goal just seconds after the restart when Antonio burst down the right and whipped in a terrific cross.

It evaded everyone until it reached Lallana at the far post who met it with a powerful header but James got down quickly to his left to pull off a terrific save.

As the game pulsed on Aruna Dindane made his first real impact of the match as he cut in from the left and curled a right footed shot from the edge of the area just wide of the post.

Diop had half a chance on 52 minutes but off balance he headed wide.

Dindane was the first man in the book for handball.

John Utaka showed why Portsmouth were playing on the break as he burst forward on 55 minutes but under pressure from Dan Harding which forced him to shoot from a tight angle his shot was saved at the near post by Davis.

Portsmouth made their first substitution on 58 minutes with Quincy Owusu-Abeyie replacing Angelos Basinas.

Lallana was sharp to try an overhead kick three minutes later but he couldn’t quite get a clean connection.

Dean Hammond was the first Saints man booked for a foul on Owusu-Abeyie.

Lallana was on target again on 64 minutes as he quickly took a shot after Lambert’s flick on but again it wasn’t a clean strike and James saved.

Saints were stunned on 66 minutes when Portsmouth took the lead.

They got a fortunate break as the ball squirmed across the edge of the area to Owusu-Abeyie but from there the sub nonchalantly nudged the ball to his right and effortlessly curled a shot into the bottom corner leaving Davis diving to his left no chance and Pompey led 1-0.

But Saints were behind for just four minutes as Lambert beat Marc Wilson to the ball six yards out to head home a right wing free to make it 1-1.

Portsmouth responded with a second substitution with Frederic Piquionne replacing Utaka. Saints then brought on Lee Barnard for Waigo.

As the game continued to rattle along at an amazing pace Portsmouth reigned the lead on 75 minutes.

Owusu-Abeyie threaded the ball through to Dindane who took a touch and finished across Davis who just got the outside of his leg to the ball but couldn’t prevent it looping up and into the far corner for a 2-1 Pompey lead.

Yebda was booked for a foul moments later.

Saints thought they had equalised on 80 minutes when Barnard slammed home Lallana’s deflected shot but he was rightly flagged offside.

Portsmouth sealed the win when they got a third goal through Nadir Belhadj.

O’Hara hit a long pass of fantastic quality into the path of the on running Belhadj who was through on goal, dummied in the area and saw Davis shift to his right and finished low to his left at the near post and it was 3-1.

It got worse for Saints minutes later as another quick break saw Belhadj cross to Owusu-Abeyie at the far post, he sidefooted back to O’Hara whose sliced first time shot beat Davis for 4-1.

When the final whistle went the scoreline suggested Portsmouth had run out comfortable winners but Saints had run them closer than that.

KEY EVENTS

• 90: Full time. Saints 1 Portsmouth 4.

• 85: Portsmouth goal. Jamie O’Hara slams home. 1-4.

• 82: Portsmouth goal. Nadir Belhadj finishes past Kelvin Davis. 1-3.

• 75: Portsmouth goal. Aruna Dindane lifts the ball past Kelvin Davis. 1-2.

• 70: Southampton goal. Rickie Lambert heads home. 1-1.

• 66: Portsmouth goal. Quincy Owusu-Abeyie curls the ball into the bottom corner. 0-1.

• 46: David James keeps out Adam Lallana’s header with a terrific save.

• 45: Half time 0-0.

• 34: Radhi Jaidi heads over from just a couple of yards out after David James lets Lambert’s corner squirm through his hands.

• 23: Jamie O’Hara forces Kelvin Davis into his first meaningful save of the game with a well struck half volley from 30 yards.

• 10: Papa Waigo has a great chance to give Saints the lead with a free header from six yards out but David James makes the save.

• 00: Kick-off is at 12.30pm.

Saints

Davis, Thomas, Perry (Holmes 83), Jaidi, Harding, Antonio, Schneiderlin, Hammond, Lallana, Waigo (Barnard 72), Lambert.
Subs: Bialkowski, James, Wotton, Mills, Gillett.

Portsmouth

James, Mullins, Belhadj, Wilson, Hreidarssonn (Hughes 90), Basinas (Owusu-Abeyie 58), O'Hara, Yebda, Bouba Diop, Dindane, Utaka (Piquionne 72).
Subs: Ashdown, Tosic, Webber, Kanu.

Referee: Howard Webb

Attendance 31,385.