Carter own goal puts Pompey through

North End lie fourth bottom in the Coca-Cola Championship but they belied their lowly status with a vibrant display and the award of a 60th-minute spot-kick put them on course for a famous victory.

But James flung his 6ft 5in frame to his right to deny Preston midfielder Simon Whaley from 12 yards - and Carter compounded the misery among home supporters when he bundled the ball into his own net late on.

James excelled throughout and fine second-half saves from Chris Brown and substitute Neil Mellor further enhanced his claims to remain as England's number one goalkeeper for the foreseeable future.

Preston proved to be more than a match for their top flight opponents and Whaley had an opportunity to put them in front, but fired high and wide from 12 yards.

Sulley Muntari tested Andy Lonergan in the 37th minute with a curling free-kick from 25 yards which drew a smart stop from the North End goalkeeper.

Portsmouth threatened briefly after the break when Glen Johnson advanced forward at pace from right-back before cutting infield and hitting a fierce 20-yard shot straight at Lonergan.

And Preston's big chance came when Sylvain Distin clumsily felled Billy Jones as he sought to break clear after collecting Whaley's pass.

Whaley stepped up from 12 yards but James dived to his right and the visiting defence cleared the danger from the rebound. James continued to excel - reacting superbly to get a hand to Brown's long-range strike before doing likewise to repel a 20-yard piledriver from Mellor.

The home side continued to pile on the pressure but Pompey stole victory when Niko Kranjcar's late corner ended up in the net via the unfortunate Carter.