Promotion hopefuls Bolton carried their sparkling FA Cup form over into the League to secure three points towards their play-off bid against relegation candidates Portsmouth at the Reebok.

Wanderers engineered a 3-0 win, their third home victory on the bounce, thanks to goals from Bob Taylor, Claus Jensen and Robbie Elliott and Sam Allardyce's men never looked under threat from the lacklustre Pompey performance.

Taylor opened Bolton's account 12 minutes in, the veteran hit-man burying a bullet header from a pinpoint Michael Johansen free kick.

And although Wanderers continued to dominate, Portsmouth dug in until the break.

After the restart the visitors emerged with a purpose and Bolton had trouble breaking them down until Jensen doubled their lead with a sensational strike on 68 minutes.

The Danish midfielder turned and fired from 30 yards neatly tucking the ball inside the left-hand upright leaving goalkeeper Russell Hoult stranded.

Nine minutes later Jensen's central midfield partner Elliott sealed the deal for Bolton. He picked up a lose ball inside the six-yard box and scooped it into the roof of the net from only a couple of yards out leaving Wanderers less than 15 minutes to sit back and savour their achievement.

But Pompey weren't without imagination in the build-up. Mike Panopoulos and Scott Hiley worked particularly hard in the middle of the park without reward.

And in a flurry of action at the start of the second-half Paolo Vernazza saw a left-foot strike drift wide and Steve Claridge saw a speedy counter-move fizzle out when he slashed his shot high and wide.

Meanwhile Eidur Gudjohnsen was unlucky not to get on the score sheet when a Ricardo Gardner cross floated past him just out of striking range and Jensen could have had a second but his second-half free-kick drifted fractionally over the bar.

Teams

Bolton: Jaaskelainen, Holden, Bergsson, Fish (Ritchie 63), Whitlow, Johansen, Jensen, Elliott, Johnston (Gardner 61), Gudjohnsen, Taylor (Holdsworth 70).

Subs Not Used: Banks, Passi.

Goals: Taylor 12, Jensen 68, Elliott 77.

Portsmouth: Hoult, Waterman, Moore, Whitbread, Crowe, Hiley (Birmingham 62), Vernazza, Thogersen, Panopoulos (Nightingale 75), Bradbury (Whittingham 77),Claridge.

Subs Not Used: Fenton, Knight.

Booked: Panopoulos.

Att: 12,672

Ref: M Reed (Birmingham).