Kranjcar keeps Pompey on course

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It was the FA Cup finalists' ninth win in their last 11 games and their 21st clean sheet of the season.

Pompey have never lost to the Hammers since promotion to the Barclays Premier League in 2002 and their victory condemned their Upton Park hosts to a fifth loss in their last seven.

It also took Redknapp's team within four points of fifth-placed Everton and they could still grab a UEFA Cup place without having to rely on beating Cardiff at Wembley.

The omens for that did not look too bright at the start, though, and the first half will not live long in the memory.

Portsmouth, starting without Kanu, Jermain Defoe and Milan Baros, showed little in attack until the closing minutes of the first 45 as David Nugent toiled against Anton Ferdinand and Jonathan Spector.

Luis Boa Morte, appearing in place of bright new youngster Freddie Sears, lost Sylvain Distin on the edge of the area early on and fired West ham's first on-target shot into the grateful arms of David James.

In a rare Pompey raid their fans at the far end of the ground thought David Nugent had scored his first Premier League goal with a right-foot snap-shot in the 24th minute but he was just off-target.

Just before the break James had to turn Dean Ashton's fierce 30-yarder around a post and then was beaten by a double deflection off Nolberto Solano's free-kick but the ball dropped just wide for a corner.

But Kranjcar's shoot-on-sight policy paid off just after the hour when his spectacular low effort from just outside the area found the back of the net to settle a poor game.