Taylor and Pericard restore the pomp of Pompey

Having felt Leicester's hot breath on their necks at a quarter to five yesterday afternoon, Portsmouth responded with a performance worthy of title favourites in last night's tea-time televised First Division fixture, from which they emerged as only the second team this season to leave the City Ground with all three points.

A superb strike by the impressive wing-back Matthew Taylor early in the second half gave Harry Redknapp's side an advantage their superiority had clearly merited. Vincent Péricard added a crucial second five minutes from time before 19-year-old Michael Dawson headed a consolation for Forest in the 90th minute.

It was a victory achieved despite injuries to Paul Merson and Steve Stone, which had deprived Portsmouth of two players with the kind of experience so often vital when pressure begins to build. Pompey had begun the season at such a clip it seemed they would run away with the First Division title but the four consecutive draws that preceded last night's match had allowed Leicester to whittle down their lead to a single point with their win at Watford yesterday.

Gary O'Neil stood in for Merson, with Kevin Harper taking Stone's place at right wing-back as the former England player missed the chance to face his former club. Even so, Portsmouth had the better of the opening 45 minutes. Forest, beaten three times in four games before this one, looked out of sorts, missing the pace of the suspended Marlon Harewood up front and Riccardo Scimeca in midfield.

They welcomed back the considerable experience of Des Walker in defence but the veteran centre-half, who had missed two matches with a thigh injury, lasted only 15 minutes before the trouble flared again and was promptly replaced.

Making much better use of possession, the visitors probably should have reached half-time in front. Deon Burton twice went close, forcing Darren Ward to make a fine save with a curled attempt from 20 yards before firing wide from ten. The former Forest midfielder Nigel Quashie, turning smartly after controlling the ball on his chest, narrowly missed the target and Svetoslav Todorov had the ball in the net himself only to be penalised for a foul on Ward.

Forest had to make another change at half-time, replacing Matthieu Louis-Jean with 21-year-old John Thompson at right-back, and, with the second half quickly settling into the pattern of the first and the home side's now inexperienced back four inclined to make errors, it seemed only a matter of time before the leaders made their superiority count.

Indeed, the breakthrough came 11 minutes after the restart, Taylor taking advantage of Forest's generously slack marking on the left to launch a right-footed shot from the corner of the penalty area that gave Ward no chance.

Five minutes from the end, Péricard effectively guaranteed Portsmouth the points, stabbing home his eighth goal of the season from close range after Ward had spilled a fairly tame shot from Péricard's fellow substitute, Jason Crowe. Dawson then dived to head home Gareth Williams's corner, but it was too little too late for Forest.

Nottingham Forest 1
Dawson 90

Portsmouth 2
Taylor 56, Péricard 87

Half-time: 0-0 Attendance: 28,165