Alan Ball celebrated the award of a new four-year contract by watching his Portsmouth side keep alive their hopes of avoiding relegation from the First Division as they climbed out of the bottom three.

Ball agreed a deal which will keep him at Fratton Park until 2002 on Friday and his players responded in style to produce a desperately-needed victory with just one game now remaining this season.

Robbie Pethick gave Portsmouth the lead after 21 minutes with a rare strike, Andy Thomson grabbed the second and man-of-the-match John Durnin claimed the third.

Durnin was at the centre of everything Portsmouth achieved as a crowd of 14,013 watched the relegation-haunted outfit produce a vital performance.

The forward made the opener for Pethick with a superb crossfield ball which the full-back intercepted as he ran into the penalty area, his shot deflecting off a defender to give goalkeeper Steve Harper no chance.

Durnin won a free-kick in the 60th minute when he was fouled by Lee Richardson and Thomson rammed home from close range from the dead ball which was floated in by Sammy Igoe.

Durnin deservedly got his own name on the scoresheet after 71 minutes when great play from Igoe created the chance to see the former Liverpool front man running into the box.

he held off two defenders before rounding the goalkeeper to slide home his third goal in five matches.

But for the brilliance of goalkeeper Harper the scoreline could have been even heavier in Portsmouth's favour, with Swedish striker Mathias Svensson providing a constant threat on his recall to the side.

Svensson, who replaced the suspended John Aloisi, was twice through in one-on-one chances against Harper and on both occasions the goalkeeper's bravery came to the visitors' rescue.

Portsmouth goalkeeper Aaron Flahavan produced one fine save in the second half to deny Darren Edmondson as he dived full stretch to his right to catch the ball, although Pompey were already three up by then.

Teams

Portsmouth: Flahavan, Pethick, Robinson, Hillier, Whitbread, Awford, Vlachos (Allen 81), Igoe, Svensson, Durnin, Thomson.

Subs Not Used: Hall, Carter.

Booked: Vlachos.

Goals: Pethick 27, Thomson 60, Durnin 70.

Huddersfield: Harper, Phillips, Edmondson, Dyson, Collins, Richardson (Heary 70), Baldry (Lawson 65), Horne, Stewart, Barnes, Johnson (Nielsen 64).

Booked: Baldry.

Att: 14,013

Ref: M Fletcher (Warley).