Pompey have now gone six home league games without conceding a goal - and while that run has included three games in which they have not netted themselves, this never looked like being another blank day for the Blues.

They imposed themselves on their limited visitors early on and were 2-0 up and cruising well before half-time. Gary Roberts made the points safe with a third, to add to Matt Clarke and Marc McNulty's first-half efforts, to keep Pompey in fourth place and right on the tails of the top three.

Paul Cook made one change, and Adam Bartion could perhaps think himself a little unlucky to make way for Adam Webster in the centre of defence after a sturdy display against Luton on Monday.

There was a minute's applause before the start in memory of Pavel Srnicek, the former Blues keeper, who died on Tuesday aged 47.

It was all Pompey from the word go and Ben Davies and Enda Stevens had already caused alarm in the Crawley box with dangerous crosses by the time Clarke timed his run to the near post perfectly to head in a Davies corner on 13 minutes.

Any of McNulty, Caolan Lavery or Kyle Bennett could have doubled the lead within the next 10 minutes as Town struggled to keep the ball for any length of time.

Lewis Young's challenge on Lavery had the crowd baying for a penalty but their pleas were ignored - but there was an air of inevitability about Pompey going two up and that happened on 26 minutes when Stevens got forward again and saw his cross controlled and finished by McNulty.

Bennett and Gareth Evans had the best chances to make it three before the break while Roarie Deacon had Crawley's only effort at Brian Murphy but he saved comfortably.

Bennett and Lavery tested Darryl Flahavan after the break while Gwiom Edwards struck Murphy's bar with a free kick.

Roberts and Ben Tollitt were introduced with a quarter of the game left, in place of McNulty and Evans. The pair combined for the third goal with seven minutes to go, Tollitt intercepting a Crawley pass and running more than 60 yards before squaring to Roberts for a simple finish.

Boss Cook told The News afterwards: : ‘I thought we were terrific in the first half, we were bright, inventive, had numerous chances and got attempts on goal. To go in 2-0 was only just a fair reflection, but we probably deserved a goal or two more. It’s a long season, there’s a long way to go, we’ve got to keep believing in what we are doing.'

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