Debutant Heskey leads Villa win

Luckless Pompey, meanwhile, slipped deeper into the relegation mire just four days after losing their grip on the FA Cup, losing Nadir Belhadj to a red card in the process.

Martin O'Neill's side are now level on points with second-placed Liverpool, who were at one stage linked with a transfer window move for their former striker Heskey.

On this evidence, he already looks an astute purchase for Villa.

Villa, though, were left clinging on against Pompey's 10 men who should have snatched a equaliser right at the end when substitute John Utaka ran straight into goalkeeper Brad Friedel instead of shooting from close range.

Earlier Pompey boss Tony Adams - who has won just two of 14 games since taking over from Harry Redknapp - saw his own new signing Hayden Mullins waste two plausible chances.

He was further sickened when Algerian Nadir Belhadj saw red - first for tripping Craig Gardner and then handling the ball after an innocuous clash with Carlos Cuellar.

Pompey still battled to the end with substitute Utaka missing another clear opportunity right at the death. But by then most of the 19,073 crowd must have know it was again going to be Villa's night.

The visitors had barely threatened before keeper Brad Friedel's monster clearance was headed on unchallenged by Gabriel Agbonlahor, who found Heskey's fine run.

The England striker was afforded too much space to meet his partner's ball on the edge of the area and drilled it first time past David James.