Merson inspires Portsmouth to rousing win

Portsmouth 4 Wimbledon 1

Portsmouth equalled a 19-year-old club record with their seventh successive League victory at Fratton Park last night but it was only after Wimbledon had been reduced to 10 men that Harry Redknapp's unbeaten First Division leaders assumed absolute control.

Ultimately Portsmouth were well worth their latest success, but their 3-1 interval lead was an insult to Wimbledon who had, if anything, enjoyed more possession and played the better football.

With Saturday's match-winner Joe McAnuff providing pace down the right and Adam Nowland celebrating his recall with some enterprising moves up front, Portsmouth's defence was constantly stretched.

The hosts failed initially to build on the encouragement of a third-minute goal. It came from Vincent Pericard, their on-loan Frenchman, who was allowed the time and space to chest down Paul Merson's long pass and hook it past the goalkeeper Kelvin Davis.

Wimbledon, who will go some way to learning their future tonight when the Milton Keynes Council meets to decide whether it can give approval to planning permission for a temporary stadium in the National Bowl – the home of pop concerts – were level by the 10th minute when Neil Shipperley headed home at the far post from McAnuff's cross.

Portsmouth regained the lead on the half hour when the constantly involved Merson sent Matthew Taylor scampering down the left. His cross was headed home at close range by Svetoslav Todorov.

Their third, eight minutes later, resulted from a ghastly mistake from Davis, who allowed a Mark Williams back pass to slide under his foot as he attempted to kick clear.

The match turned into a nightmare for Williams when he was sent off for upending Pericard, having already been cautioned for dissent. Taylor drove in Portsmouth's fourth after Germaine Darlington failed to cut out a through-ball from Merson.

It was not as if the game was short of incident but Merson provided one more, running full-pelt into the referee, Paul Danson. Both eventually resumed after treatment.

Portsmouth (4-3-1-2): Hislop; Primus, Festa, De Zeeuw, Taylor; Harper (Tiler, 88), Robinson, Quashie (O'Neill, 86); Merson, Pericard, Todorov (Burchill, 79). Substitutes not used: Kawaguchi, Vincent.

Wimbledon (4-3-3): Davis; Darlington, Williams, Gier (Leigertwood, 76), Hawkins; Francis, Andersen, Tapp; McAnuff, Nowland (Ainsworth, 86), Shipperley (Gray, 79). Substitues not used: Heald Wilmott.

Referee: P Danson (Leicester).