ACCRINGTON Stanley slumped to a first home league defeat since October at the hands of promotion rivals Portsmouth.

The teams were fourth and fifth in League Two at the start of play but it was the south coast side heading home with all three points after a relatively comfortable 3-1 victory.

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The opening to the game was as tight as you would expect from two teams in the play-off places, with former Red Gary Roberts heading in to the hands of Jason Mooney at one end before Tom Davies nodded a Sean McConville corner over the bar at the other.

The visitors went in front after 22 minutes thanks to wide-man Kyle Bennett and never looked back.

A Gareth Evans cross from the left was only partially cleared by the Stanley defence straight to Bennett and he smashed the ball off the inside of the left post from the edge of the box to put Paul Cook’s men in front.

The home team’s attempts at a response were limited, with Billy Kee prodding a tame shot straight at Pompey goalkeeper Ryan Fulton.

Instead Mooney, in for the suspended Ross Etheridge, saw his goal under great pressure with Michael Doyle rattling the crossbar with a shot from the edge of the box as the half hour mark arrived.

Soon the visitors had doubled their lead, when defender Matty Pearson diverted a Ben Davies cross past Mooney at the near post.

If that left the Reds with it all to do they soon had the proverbial mountain to climb thanks to a wonder goal from Doyle.

Once again Stanley failed to clear their lines from a Davies free kick and the Pompey captain met the ball with a crashing 30 yard volley that flew into the top corner.

A half time change saw Scott Brown replace Seamus Conneely as Stanley looked to wrestle control of the game but their early opportunities were distinctly limited.

Instead Portsmouth sought a fourth with another Davies cross and another Pearson miscue forcing Mooney to tip the ball over his bar at full stretch.

John Coleman’s side did begin to create chances though, with Shay McCartan’s header hitting a defender and Kee nodding off target.

The introduction of former Pompey man Rommy Boco and youngster Brayden Shaw gave the Reds more attacking impetus but not before their visitors made a couple more openings.

Former Reds loanee Michael Smith had the best of them, first guiding an Enda Stevens cross wide before capitalising on a defensive mix up between Pearson and Liam Wakefield but failing to hit the target.

Stanley did pull a goal back late on, with Shaw heading a ball into the box onto Shay McCartan and the Northern Irishman spinning to rifle home past Ryan Fulton for his fifth goal of the season.

That raised hopes of an unlikely comeback but a deflected Kee shot and some late pressure wasn’t enough to get Stanley back into the game, while Portsmouth continued to cause alarms when Doyle tried to chip Mooney and sub Marc McNulty picked out Gareth Evans only for him to fail to hit the target.

 

Stanley: Mooney, Wakefield, Davies, Pearson, Halliday, Crooks, Conneely (Brown HT), Mingoia (Boco 67), McConville (Shaw 67), McCartan, Kee.

Not used: Procter, Carver, Steenson, Hughes