Pompey turn to Stone for inspiration

It was a case of the irresistible force meets the immovable object ... for about four minutes anyway. That was how long it took Portsmouth, with the best home record in the First Division, to breach the defences of Wolves, a team who boasted the best away form.

The goal came from an unlikely source as Steve Stone waltzed through for his second goal since Harry Redknapp rescued him from Aston Villa's reserves last autumn. That was all it took, in a game that started well but went rapidly downhill, to inflict Wolves' second League defeat of the year. Meanwhile, every Pompey victory confirms what everyone knows, that they will make their Premiership debut next season.

Indeed, their fans celebrated as if they had already been promoted, singing: "We're going to win the League." There was an organised evacuation of supporters from the stands on to the Fratton Park pitch afterwards, to rehearse safety procedures, and with the sunny weather it felt more like May Day at the end of the season than a mid-March afternoon with nine games remaining for Portsmouth.

Wolves had long given up hope of automatic promotion, such is the gap between them in sixth place and Leicester City in second so falling behind so early, to Stone's strike, was not the calamity some might have thought.

Stone had been out injured for seven games, going back to early February, and the Geordie looked as if he was trying to make up for lost time. Starting out at right-midfield in a revamped Portsmouth side, he picked up a loose ball on the inside-left channel and went at the retreating and weakened Wolves defence. He finished by hitting his shot against Matt Murray, but the ball looped up and into the empty net.

This was Wolves' third away game in a week and a return for Dave Jones's men to the south coast, where they started their travels last Sunday in their Cup quarter-final defeat at Southampton. They had been more in contention then than in this game, where they failed to muster a single shot on target although Jones claimed his side had controlled most of the second half.

Fatigue had begun to hit Jones' men, as they were missing three-quarters of their first-choice back-four from their midweek victory. Portsmouth, who themselves won in midweek against Norwich, were also missing three first-teamers, but still made this a comfortable victory.

Redknapp afterwards was full of praise for his team's performance given that several players were out of position, and singled out Stone in particular. He said: "I brought Steve in as a right-winger but he tucked into the centre. He's got a great engine but the whole team did well."

Portsmouth 1 Wolves 0
Stone 4

Half-time: 1-0 Attendance: 19,558