Bristol City kept their First Division survival hopes alive with their second
win of the Easter period to drag Portsmouth back into relegation trouble.
Benny Lennartsson's side secured three vital league points thanks to a late
winner from Adam Locke at Fratton Park.
Locke struck four minutes from time, heading home a right wing corner from
Brian Tinnion past the exposed Alan Knight in the Pompey goal.
The win, two days after victory over Port Vale, means City have closed the gap
on the other clubs struggling at the foot of the First Division and Pompey have
dropped back into the battle to avoid the drop.
City started the brighter side and Locke went close on 11 minutes with a
20-yard effort which flew inches wide of Knight's left hand post.
Pompey pushed forward looking for the opening goal and Luke Nightingale shot
over after Alan McLoughlin's long-range effort had been parried by City keeper
Bo Andersen.
Locke then dragged a good chance wide of goal before Andersen had to be alert
to produce a diving save to deny a McLoughlin header three minutes before half
time.
Pompey started the brighter team after the break and Fitzroy Simpson was
denied a 25-yard goal when Andersen tipped the ball over the crossbar.
Ade Akinbiyi then began to threaten the home defence and he was unlucky to see
one shot fly into the side netting after easily coasting past Andy Awford.
City began to push forward looking for the opening goal and Steve Torpey went
close with a header which Knight did well to save diving low to his right.
Then Locke struck four minutes before the end to set City on course for
victory as Pompey left the midfield player unmarked eight yards out.
Akinbiyi should have added a second two minutes later when his pace got him
behind the Pompey defence but with just Knight to beat the City striker clipped
the ball two yards wide of goal.
That miss was almost punished in injury time when Pompey almost snatched an
equaliser as Matt Robinson saw his close-range header cannon back off the
underside of the crossbar and City were able to put the ball away to safety.
Teams:
Portsmouth: Knight, Robinson, Simpson, McLoughlin, Whitbread,
Awford, Nightingale (Durnin 68), Peron, Vlachos, Claridge,
Igoe (Phillips 87).
Subs Not Used: Thogersen.
Booked: Vlachos.
Bristol City: B. Andersen, Brennan, Sebok, Locke, Taylor, Carey,
Howells, Brown, Akinbiyi, Torpey (S. Andersen 77), Tinnion.
Subs Not Used: Goodridge, Shail.
Booked: Tinnion.
Goals: Locke 86.
Att: 13,026
Ref: F Stretton (Nottingham).
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