Portsmouth rediscovered their impressive away form to record a 2-0 win at Reading, who were forced to play 87 minutes a man down following the dismissal of Ibrahima Sonko.

Goals from Sol Campbell and John Utaka ensured their seventh victory away from Fratton Park - where they still have not won since September when Reading were thrashed 7-4 - but they now share the Barclay Premier League's best record on the road with Chelsea.

An incident-packed afternoon was always a probability given that previous result and the fact that Steve Coppell's side had racked up another crazy score-line at the weekend - a 6-4 reverse at Spurs, where they had lead three times.

A full house at the Madejski Stadium had to wait all of three minutes for the prediction to become reality when Sonko was sent off for conceding his third penalty in four games.

The centre-back allowed Benjani Mwaruwari to get goal-side of him, chasing Sulley Muntari's through-ball and referee Mike Dean had no hesitation in pointing to the spot when the Pompey front-man was impeded inside the box.

A red card followed for the man the home fans call Superman but who is struggling to live up to that reputation having spent nine months out with a serious knee injury.

He is about to depart for African Nations Cup duty with Senegal and will probably be relieved to be ending a torrid spell at club level.

Niko Kranjcar smacked the resulting spot-kick against a post, however, and the 10 men almost snatched the lead at the other end when Bobby Convey popped up in the box only to screw a good chance wide.

The American was immediately substituted to allow defender Andre Bikey to fill the Sonko-shaped gap but within seconds, Reading's other USA international, goalkeeper Marcus Hahnemann, had gifted Pompey a ninth-minute lead.

James Harper was aggrieved that referee Dean penalised him for a touchline challenge on Papa Bouba Diop but Muntari's free-kick into the box should have been an easy catch for the 35-year-old.

Instead, he spilled it on to the head of Diop, with Campbell applying the finish on the line after it had bounced off Kalifa Cisse. It was the Pompey skipper's first goal in just over a year.

Hahnemann was able to save efforts from Benjani, Muntari and Kranjcar before Utaka volleyed over as Portsmouth used their extra man to dominate and there was a let-off when Diop lost his marker, Cisse, only to head over from close range.

A chance did come Reading's way just before the break when Stephen Hunt set up Kevin Doyle but David James was able to deflect the ball away off his legs to keep his side level and there was still time for a let-off at the other end when Benjani saw a header bounce off the bar in stoppage time.

Reading returned for the second period in defiant mood and put their opponents under pressure for a spell, with Cisse seeing an acrobatic effort on the turn blocked by a defender, with the summer signing showing no ill-effects of a crunching late tackle from Richard Hughes which had earned the Pompey man a 58th-minute booking.

The home side had to admit defeat in the 66th minute however when the previously-quiet Utaka showed astonishing pace to over-take England defender Nicky Shorey in pursuit of Glen Johnson's through-ball.

The Nigerian had little difficulty in bypassing Hahnemann and locating an empty net to record his fourth goal since his summer switch from Rennes. Shorey, who had been suffering from illness over the holiday period, was then replaced by Ulises de la Cruz.

Hunt fluffed the chance of a consolation when he missed his kick completely after Doyle had found him beyond the back post but there was relief for the home side at the other end when a low Muntari drive missed by a matter of inches.

Teams:

Reading Hahnemann, Murty, Sonko, Ingimarsson,Shorey (De la Cruz 71), Hunt, Harper, Cisse, Convey (Bikey 7),Doyle (Long 83), Kitson.

Subs Not Used: Federici, Lita.

Sent Off: Sonko (3).

Booked: Murty, Cisse, Bikey.

Portsmouth James, Johnson, Campbell, Distin, Hreidarsson,Utaka, Diop, Hughes (Lauren 83), Muntari, Kranjcar (Taylor 89),Mwaruwari (Kanu 63).

Subs Not Used: Begovic, Nugent.

Booked: Hughes.

Goals: Campbell 9, Utaka 66.

Att: 24,084

Ref: Mike Dean (Wirral).