Portsmouth went six points clear at the top of League One as goals from Conor Shaughnessy and Kusini Yengi gave them victory over second-placed Bolton.
Centre-back Shaughnessy headed home Jack Sparkes’s corner at the end of the first half to give Pompey the lead in an absorbing top-of-the-table clash.
Dangerous forward Kusini Yengi then poked home with minutes left to seal a deserved third straight win.
Defeat at Fratton Park ended Wanderers’ 11-game unbeaten run.
The game was a fascinating prospect, with the ever-consistent Pompey taking on a rampant Bolton side who had not lost since 7 October.
The visitors had many first-half opportunities to take the lead, including Dion Charles inexplicable miss in front of an open goal after 27 minutes.
Joao Mousinho’s side made them pay, with Shaughnessy heading in Sparkes’ header at the near post right from a corner at the end of the first half – Pompey’s 11th goal scored between the 31st and 45th minute of their League One campaign this season.
The hosts looked comfortable in an incident-free second half, with Yengi menacing throughout in a man-of-the-match performance.
The Australian sealed victory with two minutes of normal time remaining, poking home Gavin Whyte’s cross from the right.
The result takes Mousinho’s team both six points clear of second-placed Bolton, and Stevenage in the first play-off spot.
They appear to have seen off a brief wobble which saw them draw to Charlton and lose heavily to Blackpool, and they will now have the Championship firmly in their sights.
Line-ups
Portsmouth
Formation 4-2-3-1
- 1Norris
- 17RaffertyBooked at 85mins
- 20Raggett
- 18Shaughnessy
- 21SparkesBooked at 35minsSubstituted forSwansonat 90+3′minutes
- 16Morrell
- 7Pack
- 25KamaraSubstituted forWhyteat 67′minutes
- 8RobertsonBooked at 10mins
- 32LaneSubstituted forDevlinat 82′minutes
- 19YengiSubstituted forSaydeeat 90+3′minutes
Substitutes
- 2Swanson
- 4Towler
- 11Whyte
- 15Saydee
- 24Devlin
- 29Martin
- 31Schofield
Bolton
Formation 3-1-4-2
- 1Baxter
- 2JonesBooked at 90mins
- 5Almeida Santos
- 18Toal
- 8SheehanBooked at 74mins
- 12Dacres-CogleySubstituted forMendes Gomesat 81′minutesBooked at 90mins
- 4ThomasonBooked at 14minsSubstituted forDempseyat 67′minutes
- 19MaghomaSubstituted forMorleyat 67′minutes
- 27WilliamsSubstituted forIredaleat 67′minutes
- 9Bödvarsson
- 10CharlesSubstituted forAdeboyejoat 81′minutes
Substitutes
- 3Iredale
- 7Mendes Gomes
- 14Adeboyejo
- 15Forrester
- 16Morley
- 22Dempsey
- 35Jerome
- Referee:
- Paul Howard
- Attendance:
- 19,052
Live Text
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Match ends, Portsmouth 2, Bolton Wanderers 0.
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Second Half ends, Portsmouth 2, Bolton Wanderers 0.
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Gethin Jones (Bolton Wanderers) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
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Foul by Gethin Jones (Bolton Wanderers).
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Terry Devlin (Portsmouth) wins a free kick on the left wing.
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Substitution, Portsmouth. Zak Swanson replaces Jack Sparkes.
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Substitution, Portsmouth. Christian Saydee replaces Kusini Yengi.
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Carlos Gome (Bolton Wanderers) is shown the yellow card for a bad foul.
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Foul by Carlos Gome (Bolton Wanderers).
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Gavin Whyte (Portsmouth) wins a free kick in the attacking half.
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Corner, Bolton Wanderers. Conceded by Joe Rafferty.
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Gethin Jones (Bolton Wanderers) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
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Foul by Kusini Yengi (Portsmouth).
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Goal! Portsmouth 2, Bolton Wanderers 0. Kusini Yengi (Portsmouth) left footed shot from very close range to the bottom left corner. Assisted by Gavin Whyte.
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Attempt missed. Kusini Yengi (Portsmouth) header from the centre of the box misses to the left. Assisted by Jack Sparkes with a cross following a corner.
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Corner, Portsmouth. Conceded by Gethin Jones.
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Attempt blocked. Gavin Whyte (Portsmouth) right footed shot from a difficult angle on the right is blocked. Assisted by Joe Morrell.
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Joe Rafferty (Portsmouth) is shown the yellow card.
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Foul by Jack Iredale (Bolton Wanderers).
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Joe Rafferty (Portsmouth) wins a free kick in the defensive half.
