An injury time winner by substitute Kyle Lightbourne threw Stoke a lifeline and increased Portsmouth's relegation fears.

Lightbourne, a big let down since his £500,000 move from Coventry two months ago, lobbed over Aaron Flahavan in the first minute of stoppage time.

There was still time for Pompey substitute Martin Allen to head against the bar in the frenetic closing moments, but City had been good value for the points.

They went at Portsmouth from the off and came within inches of taking a seventh minute lead.

The visitors defence failed to close down Graham Kavanagh and his 25 yard shot was tipped against the bar by Flahavan.

Richard Forsyth was narrowly off target with a header from Kevin Keen's free kick as Stoke kept up the pressure and the visitors threatened to buckle.

Dean Crowe went agonisingly close" with a 20 yard half volley, then the heroic Flahavan did well to beat out a venomous drive from Peter Thorne.

Portsmouth finally produced an effort on target in the 30th minute when John Durnin escaped from Kofi Nyamah to see his shot blocked by Neville Southall.

And Alan Ball's side almost stole an unlikely lead two minutes later when Durnin freed Fitzroy Simpson who brought a more searching save from Southall.

Stoke continued to fire on all cylinders after the break with Flahavan producing several inspired saves to keep them at bay.

He saved bravely at the feet of Thorne in the 67th minute and it was the Stoke striker that came worse off as he was stretchered away with a leg injury.

Lightbourne came on as his replacement, but City's First Division future was hanging by a thread after Pompey took a shock lead in the 69th minute.

Matt Robinson's cross looked harmless enough but Nyamah made a mess of a simple defensive header and Durnin smashed the ball beyond Southall.

But Stoke refused to lie down and scored a richly deserved equaliser 12 minutes from time.

Kavanagh free kick bounded off the defensive wall and Ally Pickering was perfectly placed to smash a right foot shot which finally beat Flahavan.

Lightbourne then became the real Stoke hero.

Teams

Stoke: Southall, Pickering, Nyamah, Sigurdsson, Tweed, Keen, Forsyth (Heath 76), Wallace, Thorne (Lightbourne 67), Crowe (Whittle 90), Kavanagh.

Goals: Pickering 78, Lightbourne 90.

Portsmouth: Flahavan, Pethick, Robinson, McLoughlin (Hall 45), Whitbread, Awford, Hillier, Simpson, Aloisi (Allen 59), Durnin (Svensson 88), Thomson.

Goals: Durnin 69.

Att: 15,569

Ref: R D Furnandiz (Doncaster).