Portsmouth's hopes of escaping from the relegation zone were dashed by a spirited recovery from manager Harry Redknapp's former club West Ham.

The Fratton Park revival under their new manager, freshly returned from an ill-fated year at Southampton, had begun with last week's scrambled victory over West Brom.

But although Pompey looked nothing like a struggling side on this occasion they had only Gary O'Neil's opener to show for their efforts and might have been punished on numerous occasions after James Collins had equalised for the Hammers 11 minutes into the second half.

Pompey finished a man down as well after Lauren Robert was dismissed late on for two bookable offences.

The first half certainly belonged to Pompey and West Ham could count themselves fortunate to have conceded just the one from man-of-the-match O'Neil.

Robert was the man who set it up in the 17th minute with a pacy run down the right that ended with a lay-back from the byline that no defender could cut out.

Recalled striker Dario Silva was intent on getting on the end of it first but heeded his colleague's call to allow O'Neil to side-foot the ball past the exposed Roy Carroll from 14 yards out.

The goalkeeper, who had made a smart early stop to deny Silva, survived a borderline appeal for handling outside his area as Pompey continued to dominate.

Indeed, the Northern Ireland international would surely have been beaten had Pompey skipper Dejan Stefanovic managed to get even the slightest of touches to a Robert free-kick from the left flank that had been curled beyond the away defence.

The first half also had an unwanted knock-on effect for West Ham's next three matches over a busy holiday period as manager Alan Pardew was forced to make three changes before the break.

Hayden Mullins was first to leave, being replaced by Carl Fletcher having taken an early knock and when Tomas Repka went down as Silva challenged it was clear he too was destined for the dressing room.

Pardew had a decision to make and opted to send Danny Gabbidon into the fray in the 34th minute despite the fact that he had only just returned to the pool following time out with a badly-gashed knee.

The Wales international was soon wincing with pain every time he was needed and was reprieved in the 40th minute when Christian Dailly replaced him.

Pompey had also been forced into a change early on when right back Linvoy Primus hobbled off to be replaced by Brian Priske in the 20th minute.

Pompey's Matthew Taylor was booked before the break for a late challenge on Nigel Reo-Coker, who was back in the side following weeks out with a broken ankle, and the hapless Hammers were briefly down to 10 men in stoppage time when Robert clipped Matthew Etherington. Robert was booked and his victim returned for the second period with right ankle heavily strapped.

Dailly headed a good chance just over seconds after the restart as the Hammers tried to be more thrusting but Carroll was soon needed at the other end to keep out a low Taylor drive from the edge of the box.

He had to do the same to stop Lomana LuaLua's effort from long range but from that moment on the momentum was suddenly grasped by the Hammers.

Marlon Harewood began to make things happen with a crashing drive following a chest down that cannoned back off a post with goalkeeper Jamie Ashdown, previously only a spectator, helpless.

But when a set-piece delivery to the back post broke kindly to Collins off first Anton Ferdinand and then Stefanovic the defender made no mistake by drilling home from 10 yards.

LuaLua twice saw on-target efforts repelled and the home side's appeal for a penalty went unheeded when Silva's header hit one of Ferdinand's arms from another attack.

But West Ham now sensed victory as well and Dailly blasted wastefully over after a slick passing move had opened up a full sight of goal.

The recalled Shaun Newton almost burst through and the Hammers had an extra man for the final six minutes when Robert received his second yellow for a late lunge on Paul Konchesky.

But Pompey held firm, with Ashdown denying Harewood on the turn and Dailly heading agonisingly wide at full stretch from the last chance of the game.

Teams

Portsmouth Ashdown, Primus (Priske 20), O'Brien, Stefanovic, Griffin, O'Neil, Hughes, Taylor, LuaLua, Silva (Viafara 86), Robert.

Subs Not Used: Westerveld, Todorov, Karadas.

Sent Off: Robert (84).

Booked: Taylor, Robert, Hughes.

Goals: O'Neil 17.

West Ham Carroll, Repka (Gabbidon 33), Ferdinand, Collins, Konchesky, Newton, Mullins (Fletcher 12), Reo-Coker, Etherington, Harewood, Zamora, Gabbidon (Dailly 39).

Subs Not Used: Hislop, Bellion.

Booked: Reo-Coker.

Goals: Collins 56.

Att: 20,168

Ref: A Wiley (Staffordshire).