Steve Claridge scored his first goal for Portsmouth to give Alan Ball a much
needed victory in Pompey's fight against relegation.
The on-loan Leicester City front man scored with a 14th minute header from
close-range to mark his fifth game for his home town club with a vital goal.
Claridge was released by Portsmouth as an 18-year-old but was signed to help
the relegation-haunted club escape the drop to Division Two.
He almost grabbed the second in the 18th minute when he turned sharply and
fired a shot past Eric Nixon - but saw his effort ruled out for offside.
Stockport battled back into the game and it needed several fine saves from
goalkeeper Aaron Flahavan to keep his side in it.
Flahavan, selected in preference to long-serving Alan Knight for the first
time since Ball returned to the club, first denied Brett Angell.
Angell, himself a former Portsmouth player, thought he had scored with a
close-range header in the 38th minute but Flahavan managed to parry it wide.
After 44 minutes, Jim Gannon volleyed in from 30 yards and Flahavan somehow
managed to recover his footing to catch a sharply dipping effort.
Flahavan again denied Angell in the second-half and also kept out an effort by
Chris Byrne.
Substitute Martin Nash had the best chance to equalise for Stockport when he
found himself in space on the edge of the six yard box.
But Nash somehow managed to side-foot his shot wide to the frustration of
manager Gary Megson.
Referee Barry Knight was busy with bookings flying around as tension mounted
and in the first-half he cautioned Portsmouth's Australian international John
Aloisi for a needless challenge on Mike Flynn.
Alan McLaughlin and substitute Mathias Svensson were also booked by the Kent
official.
For Stockport there was a booking for Kevin Cooper for a nasty foul on Sammy
Igoe.
A crowd of 8,622 gave Portsmouth a rousing standing ovation as Ball celebrated
his first victory since returning to the club - but Pompey still find themselves
pinned to the foot of the First Division table with 15 matches remaining to save
themselves from the drop.
Teams
Portsmouth: Flahavan, Pethick, Cook (Allen 64), McLoughlin,
Whitbread, Awford, Vlachos, Igoe, Aloisi (Svensson 64), Claridge,
Carter.
Subs Not Used: Perrett.
Booked: McLoughlin, Aloisi, Svensson.
Goals: Claridge 15.
Stockport: Nixon, Connelly, Woodthorpe, Byrne, Flynn, Dinning,
Gannon (Nash 53), Cook, Angell, Grant, Cooper (Phillips 73).
Subs Not Used: Searle.
Booked: Cooper.
Att: 8,622
Ref: B Knight (Orpington).
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