Conor Chaplin found his first goal of the season to set the Blues on their way to a comfortable and hugely important Championship win at Fratton Park.
Chaplin scored his first Blues goal at Fratton Park in over 6 years with Millenic Alli and Ebou Adams also on the scoresheet for Portsmouth.
Those 3 points now take John Mousinho’s side above West Brom and up to 20th on 33 points, as the Baggies drop down to 21st on 32 points.
There was one change to XI that drew 1-1 in last Sunday’s south coast derby, with Regan Poole returning to the side, replacing Ibane Bowat.
While new signing Aji Alese, who joined on loan from Sunderland on Thursday, was among the substitutes bench.
Pompey dominated the game from minute one to minute 90, and put Eric Ramsay’s side on the back foot early on.
The early momentum was quickly rewarded when Alli played in Chaplin, who sliced the ball into the top right-hand corner to make it 1-0, just 20 minutes gone.
Mousinho’s side did not hold back, as they then went on to double their lead as Alli breezed past Chris Mepham, before he buried the ball past Max O’Leary to make it 2-0 just five minutes later.
Alli followed the goal with a celebration that former Blues forward Lomana LuaLua would have been proud of, as the Luton loanee whipped out the backflip in his celebration.
HALF-TIME: Portsmouth 2-0 West Bromwich Albion
Early in the second 45, Adams went on to make it 3, as he punted the ball off O’Leary’s glove and into the Milton End goal to seal the three points in PO4.
Albion came close to pulling a goal back when Mikey Johnston pinged a shot from distance, but his effort was comfortably tipped over the bar by Nicolas Schmid.
However, Blues forward Colby Bishop took a horrible landing on his ankle, and despite attempting to play on, the number nine had to be withdrawn for Keshi Anderson.
Marlon Pack replaced Adrian Segečic with 15 minutes left on the clock, with Makenzie Kirk and John Swift replacing Alli and Adams on 84 minutes.
Just before the four minutes of added time, Chaplin came close to scoring a brace, but a goal-line scramble allowed Ramsay’s side to clear the ball off the line.
FULL-TIME: Portsmouth 3-0 West Bromwich Albion
Next up: John Mousinho’s side welcome Kieran McKenna’s Ipswich Town to Fratton Park on Tuesday night, in a rearranged fixture.
The Tractor Boys currently sit 4th in the Championship, and come into Tuesday’s tie off the back of a 1-1 draw at home to Preston North End.
Portsmouth: 1. Schmid (GK), 24. Devlin, 5. Poole, 3. Ogilvie, 22. Swanson, 38. Adams (8. Swift), 21. Dozzell, 36. Chaplin, 27. Alli (25. Kirk) 10. Segečic (7. Pack), 9. Bishop (C) (37. Anderson) (Formation: 4-2-3-1)
Unused subs: 26. Bursik (GK), 2. Williams, 5. Poole, 16. Le Roux, 17. Bowat, 34. Alese
Goals: Chaplin 20’, Alli 25’, Adams 49’
Head coach: John Mousinho
West Bromwich Albion: 1. O’Leary (GK),2. Mepham, 3. Phillips, (4. Styles) 29. Taylor, 30. Imray (14. Gilchrist), 8. Molumby (27. Mowatt), 17. Diakité, 22. Illini-Junior (9. Maja), 21. Price, 11. Johnston (7. Wallace), 19. Heggebø (Formation: 3-4-2-1)
Unused subs: 20. Griffiths (GK), 12. Dike, 34. Whitwell, 37. Bostock
Bookings: Phillips 11’, Johnston 22’
Head coach: Eric Ramsay
Referee: Matt Donohue
Venue: Fratton Park
Attendance: 20,413 (including 2,651 WBA fans)
Today's Pompey Live: Extra-Time podcast is now available to download and listen back to - Hear Jake Smith, Kirsty Roxanne and James Wilson provide analysis and reaction LIVE from the PO4 press box.
Jake will be back on Monday (February 2nd) evening from 6pm with Mark Coates and Graham Butterworth for the latest edition of The Football Hour on Express FM to review the game even further and look ahead to Tuesday (February 3rd) night's visit of Ipswich Town to Fratton Park.
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