Pompey lift the gloom with win at Wolves

Portsmouth lifted some of the gloom surrounding the club with a 1-0 win at Wolves that ended the run of seven straight defeats with which Paul Hart’s side had begun their Premier League campaign.

With Portsmouth apparently close to financial meltdown, the three points secured by Hassan Yebda’s first-half header represent a welcome tonic for the crisis-hit club.

But it was a close run thing with Wolves denied what appeared to be a blatant penalty after the interval and only a superb David James save denying the home side an equaliser in the dying seconds of the match.

Wolves had fit-again right-back Kevin Foley back in their line-up for only the second time this season in the only change from the side beaten 5-2 at Sunderland last weekend.

Hart handed Steve Finnan his first start of the season and also drafted Yebda into his side.

Scotland international Christophe Berra might have given Wolves an early lead but his header from Greg Halford’s long throw-in was directed straight at Portsmouth goalkeeper David James.

But Portsmouth were soon knocking the ball around with a confidence that belied their lowly position and Wayne Hennessey was forced to make a good save from Kevin-Prince Boateng’s shot on the turn.

Matt Jarvis lifted the home fans with a powerful run from inside his own half that carried him into the Portsmouth box, but a tame shot failed to seriously test James.

Ireland striker Kevin Doyle was off target with a volley from the edge of the area for Wolves.

But Portsmouth continued to look the better side and Aruna Dindane, with a 25-yard drive that whistled just over, and Jarvis, whose shot was cleared off the line by Jarvis, both went close before Yebda put the visitors ahead.

Boateng delivered a fine cross from the right and Yebda, who was born in France but has opted to represent Algeria in international football, steered a confident header past Hennessey.

The Wolves goalkeeper then had to pull off a full-stretch stop to prevent Dindane, who had been released by Smith’s through pass, from doubling the lead.

The loose ball fell to Smith, who cut inside to get an angle for a shot but failed to hit the target.

Wolves rallied after that scare and Doyle had a shot deflected wide before heading over a Jarvis corner.

There was more frustration for the Ireland forward in first-half injury time when his close-range effort was blocked after James had produced a fine reflex save to deny Andy Keogh.

Portsmouth had a huge let-off soon after the restart, when the referee failed to spot that Wilson had handled Michael Kightly’s cross from the right.

Generally, however, Hart’s men coped well with the limited threat posed by the home side although they had reason to be grateful for James right at the death.

The veteran, who will be hoping to be restored to England’s starting line-up in the Ukraine next week, did his cause no harm by turning Halford’s volleyed effort away.