Quashie nets for Pompey (Getty Images).
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Yacubu Ayegbini, Portsmouth's recruit from Maccabi Haifa, marked his first start in England with a goal as the Division One leaders comfortably maintained their two-point advantage at the top of the table.
Pompey never needed to get out of first gear to dispose of a woeful Grimsby side whose fate was sealed when their defender Simon Ford scored an own goal, guaranteeing a first home win since November for Harry Redknapp's promotion
favourites.
Nigel Quashie added further gloss to a fine performance by netting in the last minute.
Nigeria international Ayegbini, scorer of five Champions League goals this season, had made only one substitute appearance for Pompey before this game but wasted no time in justifying his selection ahead of Vincent Pericard.
It took Portsmouth just over a minute-and-a-half to call Grimsby goalkeeper Danny Coyne into action as he held a shot from Svetoslav Todorov.
And two minutes later they were ahead as Ayegbini made a fine start to his partnership with Todorov, latching on to a pass from the Bulgarian and stroking the ball home from close range.
Ayegbini also had the next shot eight minutes later but this time fired wide and the hosts, without a home win since November, were threatening to run riot as Quashie had a long-range effort parried by Coyne.
Grimsby's inability to gain a foothold in the match resulted in frustration which led to the booking of Darren Mansaram after 23 minutes for a foul on Linvoy Primus.
Steve Chettle then made two timely interventions to stop the Mariners from going further behind, the defender denying Todorov and then Hayden Foxe.
To their credit, Paul Groves' strugglers held out to go in for the break only one goal down and must have been hoping half time would prompt a turnaround in their fortunes.
The visitors did look more threatening as soon as the second period began and Steve Livingstone hit their first strike at goal of the match when he connected with a Stuart Campbell corner but sent the ball wide.
But Redknapp's side were still well in control and Todorov had a shot blocked while Kevin Harper pulled an angled effort wide.
The failure to convert chances could have come back to haunt Portsmouth as a nervy finish approached, but after 73 minutes their worries were laid to rest. Harper sent over a cross which evaded everyone in the area before being sent
back in by Matthew Taylor, and his ball cannoned off Ford into the net.
Todorov and Ayegbini went close to increasing the victory margin in the closing stages but it was Quashie who had the final say, breaking through to capitalise on a sublime Paul Merson pass in stoppage time.
Teams
Portsmouth Hislop, Primus, Foxe (Diabate 90), Tavlaridis, Harper (Crowe 85), Merson, Sherwood, Quashie, Taylor, Todorov, Ayegbini (Pericard 90).
Subs Not Used: Kawaguchi, Burton.
Goals: Ayegbini 4, Ford 75 og, Quashie 90.
Grimsby Coyne, Groves, Chettle, Ford, McDermott, Campbell, Bolder (Soames 78), Santos (Ward 88), Gallimore, Livingstone, Mansaram.
Subs Not Used: Allaway, Cooke, Parker.
Booked: Mansaram.
Att: 19,428
Ref: A Bates (Staffordshire).
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