Hjelde nightmare engulfs Forest

Portsmouth 3 Nottingham Forest

Lee Bradbury fired home a late penalty to give Portsmouth their sixth home First Division win of the season as Nottingham Forest's Norwegian defender Jon-Olav Hjelde had a night to forget at Fratton Park.

Hjelde had started the evening in the worst possible fashion as he headed past his own goalkeeper Darren Ward and into his own net at the near post in only the ninth minute.

Forest forced their way back into the game with help from the Portsmouth defender Alessandro Zamperini, who was unsure at the back throughout the entire 90 minutes. But Hjelde completed a miserable night for himself and his team with seven minutes remaining when he was adjudged to have fouled Peter Crouch inside the penalty area.

The referee, Peter Armstrong, had no hesitation in pointing to the spot after Crouch appeared to have been sent flying by a needless push from the centre-back and Bradbury gratefully accepted the spot-kick, sending Ward the wrong way from 12 yards.

Earlier Nicky Summerbee had cancelled out Hjelde's first mistake when he arrived at the far post unmarked to meet Andy Reid's pinpoint cross after 11 minutes. The Japanese goalkeeper Yoshikatsu Kawaguchi kept out Summerbee's first volley but was helpless as he followed up with the rebound from six yards.

Forest were in front 20 minutes later when Zamperini was again found wanting. Referee Armstrong pointed to the spot after the Italian defender had hauled down Summerbee inside the area and Jermaine Jenas sent Kawaguchi the wrong way with the resulting penalty to equalise.

Zamperini escaped further embarrassment two minutes later when what seemed a more clear-cut penalty decision for a foul on David Johnson was not given.

Bradbury scored his first goal of the night in the 49th minute when he headed home his sixth goal of the season from Kevin Harper's cross from the right wing. Johnson spurned chances to put Forest ahead before Hjelde's dramatic late intervention gifted the home side victory.

Portsmouth: Kawaguchi; Crowe, Hiley, Zamperini, Harper, Barrett, Quashie, O'Neil (Thogersen, 73), Pitt (Lovell, 74), Bradbury (Vincent, 85), Crouch. Substitutes not used: Tardif (gk), Tiler.

Nottingham Forest: Ward; Louis-Jean, Scimeca, Hjelde, Brennan, Summerbee, Jenas, Williams, Prutton, Johnson (John, 73), Reid. Substitutes not used: Roche (gk), Bopp, Gray, Vaughan.

Referee: P Armstrong (Berkshire).