Portsmouth 4 - Bolton Wanderers 0:Seven points from their first three games does not flatter Portsmouth. A Teddy Sheringham hat-trick took Harry Redknapp's men to the top of the league last night, and however temporary that position may prove, a raucous Fratton Park was delirious at the thought of it.
There were round boos for the former Saint, Kevin Davies, cheers for Harry and his number two Jim Smith, and expectation of continuing their unbeaten start on their return to the Premiership.
There was not much too cheer about for the opening 45 minutes, though. Portsmouth have not taken three points from Bolton since 1974, and Sam Allardyce's side are not the type to give them away lightly.
The visitors came closest to opening the scoring in the first half, Henrik Pedersen bustling his way between Arjan de Zeeuw and Dejan Stefanovic after only seven minutes. The Dane rarely had the ball under control, but he succeeded in getting a last poke on the ball that took it past Shaka Hislop and just a foot past the far post.
The contest settled into a battle between two midfield units in each other's image. The experience of Per Frandsen and Youri Djorkaeff mixed with that of Steve Stone and Patrik Berger, but the lack of pace on either side was apparent.
Portsmouth's best hope was to hit the ball into the path of Yakubu Ayegbeni, but a combination of tight marking and the linesman's flag restricted him to one lackadaisical volley that flew wide. Bolton had nothing but another persistent trickler from Pedersen to show for their midfield artistry.
Three minutes after the restart the game changed shape. Dropping off the front line in the manner of a man who could do the same in his sleep without falling off the bed, Teddy Sheringham found a yard of room to play in Berger.
The on-rushing Czech evaded the challenge of Florent Laville and, while Jussi Jaaskelainen was well positioned, he could not push the ball clear of goal and Stone chested it over the line almost apologetically. Bolton were shaken. Laville had a chance from a corner seven minutes later but it was Portsmouth who looked like scoring again, and in the 57th minute they duly obliged.
Nigel Quashie started the move, delaying a pass until Boris Zivkovic made an overlapping run. Quashie played in the former Bayer Leverkusen man who took one look and put the ball right where Sheringham wanted it for a furious header that, again, seemed eerily familiar.
In an attempt to change the game, Sam Allardyce gave Mario Jardel a run-out. The Brazilian, having a midriff like Ivan Campo's, was ineffective and should look to the perennially lean Sheringham.
Portsmouth's captain was lurking in the right place to punish slack defending with a smart finish two minutes from the end. And when the substitute Vincent Pericard tumbled dubiously in the final seconds, Sheringham converted the penalty. "Oh Teddy, Teddy," sang Fratton Park, as if they only had just invented the tune.
Guardian Services
PORTSMOUTH: Hislop, Schemmel (Primus 81), De Zeeuw, Stefanovic, Zivkovic, Stone, Quashie, Faye, Berger, Sheringham, Ayegbini (Pericard 84). Subs Not Used: Wapenaar, O'Neil, Harper. Booked: Zivkovic, Quashie. Goals: Stone 48, Sheringham 57, 88, 90 pen.
BOLTON: Jaaskelainen, Barness (Charlton 41), N'Gotty, Campo, Laville, Frandsen (Jardel 63), Pedersen, Okocha, Gardner, Davies (Giannakopoulos 64), Djorkaeff. Subs Not Used: Poole, Nolan. Booked: Laville, Davies, Charlton, Giannakopoulos.
Referee: D Gallagher (Oxfordshire).
