Pompey can almost smell League One. A sixth win in seven - coupled with Stevenage, Carlisle and Exeter all slipping up - means just eight more points, at the most, will guarantee automatic promotion.

Gareth Evans' first-half penalty - yes, a spot-kick that was scored - was cancelled out by a freakish equaliser shortly after the interval but Pompey came on strong after that and goals by Kal Naismith and Jamal Lowe made the points safe well before the end. It was the first time Pompey had beaten Yeovil in a league game at home.

It puts the Blues eight points clear of Luton - who are now fourth - and they can take another big step to the big prize on Good Friday when Plymouth, still four points ahead of them in second, visit Fratton.

It was a reasonable start from Pompey on a lovely sun-baked afternoon at a packed park and they went ahead when Evans sent the keeper the wrong way from the spot after Gary Roberts stole possession from the lethargic defending of Bevis Mugabe and went down under theYeovil man's depserate attempt to stop him.

Pompey, you felt, needed a second, but it would not come before the break despite some fine endeavour from Carl Baker, Roberts, Kyle Bennett and Kal Naismith.

They were made to pay for this six minutes after the break as Francois Zoko forced Enda Stevens into an attempted clearance which looped over David Forde and into the Milton End net.

It was a setback - but credit to Pompey, they set out their stall again and soon had Yeovil on the back foot, with no sign of the nerves that have beset them in past home games when a goal has gone against them.

Midway through the half a neat move ended with Stevens playing in Naismith and his shot had too much for Glovers stopper Artur Krysiak.

That settled Pompey and the crowd, who raised the noise levels as a result, and 10 minutes later there was a first Pompey goal for Jamal Lowe, just a couple of minutes after coming on for Baker, as he bustled into the box and fired in from a tight angle to the delight of the Fratton End.

Lowe and later Nicke Kabamba impressed as did Conor Chaplin and Pompey looked the most likely to get the game's fifth goal but it didn't come - not that it mattered one bit,

Pompey: Forde; Evans, Burgess, Clarke, Stevens; Rose, M.Doyle; Baker (Lowe 76), Roberts (Chaplin 67), Bennett; Naismith (Kabamba 90). Subs not used: O’Brien, Talbot, Whatmough, Linganzi

Referee: Graham Horwood

Attendance: 17,564 (443 away fans)

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