Republic of Ireland international Alan McLoughlin inspired Alan Ball's
Portsmouth to victory as they eased their relegation worries at Fratton Park.
McLoughlin played a part in all three goals as Pompey cruised to their first
victory in eight games and all but secure their First Division status for next
season.
The midfielder produced a superb 40-yard pass in the 10th minute to allow
striker Steve Claridge to race in on the Stockport goal.
The former Birmingham and Wolves striker had no trouble in slipping past
oncoming goalkeeper Ian Gray before netting from a tight angle for his 10th goal
of the season.
And McLoughlin was again involved seven minutes later as Fitzroy Simpson
doubled Portsmouth's advantage from a well worked free-kick.
McLoughlin teed the ball up for the Jamaican international to drive home a
fierce 25-yard low shot inside the right hand post for his first goal of the
season.
Claridge should have extended the scoreline two minutes before the half-time
interval but somehow contrived to head over the crossbar from only eight yards
out when unmarked.
But striker John Durnin put the result beyond all doubt within a minute of the
restart with his fourth goal in three games.
McLoughlin was again the provider as he passed to Sammy Igoe for the tiny
midfielder to race to the byeline and square for Durnin to lash home his shot
into the roof of the net for his seventh goal of the season.
Full back Matthew Robinson should have extended the scoreline 10 minutes later
but blasted high and wide from only 10 yards while Simpson and Durnin also went
close as Stockport struggled to find a cutting edge.
Striker Brett Angell was unlucky to see his lob cannon off the crossbar to
safety in injury-time in the first half after spotting goalkeeper Alan Knight
off his line.
And captain Mike Flynn scrambled a shot narrowly wide of the right hand
upright in the 51st minute but Portsmouth deserved their success as Stockport
slumped to a second successive defeat.
Teams:
Portsmouth: Knight, Robinson, Simpson, McLoughlin, Whitbread,
Awford, Durnin (Nightingale 80), Peron, Vlachos, Claridge, Igoe.
Subs Not Used: Thogersen, Phillips.
Booked: Vlachos, Peron.
Goals: Claridge 10, Simpson 17, Durnin 46.
Stockport: Gray, Connelly, Dinning, Smith, Flynn, Gannon,
Cooper, Moore, Angell (Matthews 58), Ellis, Woodthorpe.
Subs Not Used: Nash, Wilbraham.
Booked: Smith, Ellis, Cooper.
Goals: Ellis 89.
Att: 11,212
Ref: S Bennett (Orpington).
E-mail Article 
Print-Friendly
Subscribe to RSS Feed 
Post to del.icio.us
Facebook