Nugent strike enough for Pompey

Nugent struck low just inside Gabor Kiraly's right-hand post despite angry protests he had handled from midfielder Pedro Mendes' initial cross.

Burnley had their chances but Ade Akinbiyi and Steven Caldwell both headed straight at Pompey keeper Jamie Ashdown when they should have scored.

Pompey boss Harry Redknapp had indicated he would be willing to offload Nugent for the right offer a matter of weeks after he had joined the club from Preston.

Redknapp must have felt like leaving him in the north west after his first-half howler when he raced clear only to see his attempted audacious nutmeg of keeper Kiraly fail miserably.

But Nugent struck back with a fine low finish to maintain Pompey's interest in a competition which, having made 10 changes from the win at Blackburn 48 hours earlier, is clearly low on Redknapp's priority list.

Sylvain Distin was the only survivor from the Ewood Park success and he was the busiest Pompey player early on, twice being called upon to make timely interceptions to deny the lively Ade Akinbiyi.

Portsmouth belatedly got a grip on proceedings in the 18th minute, when Nugent sprang the offside trap to race onto Mendes' through-ball, but was caught out trying to nutmeg the upright Kiraly instead of shooting.

Moments later, a similar ball sent Nugent the chance to go clear on the keeper again, but hesitation by the striker allowed Steve Jordan to get back with a superb sliding challenge in the box.

In the second half, just as Burnley began to threaten, Nugent struck with a goal which squeezed in off Kiraly's right-hand post and prompted furious but futile protests from the home side over the alleged handball.