Pompey edge towards safety

Midfielder Niko Kranjcar was stretchered off 15 minutes from time with what looked a serious injury and his replacement, Nadir Belhadj, had a hand in the winning goal.

Three minutes after coming on his first touch, an inswinging corner, was helped over the line by Kanu, another substitute.

Bolton were lucky to survive that long and had goalkeeper Jussi Jaaskelainen to thank for a hat-trick of fine saves - all from Glen Johnson in the first half.

Kranjcar went down writhing in agony from a challenge which saw Bolton's Gavin McCann booked but he had hardly been ferried down the tunnel when sub Belhadj, recently out of favour with manager Paul Hart despite a £4million move to Fratton Park in January from Lens, used his first touch to fashion a viciously curling corner on the right.

Jussi Jaaskelainen, who had been Bolton's hero in the first half, allowed the ball to squirm from his grasp and Kanu, who had come on for David Nugent after 71 minutes, claimed the touch to bundle the ball home.

Belhadj and Peter Crouch could easily have added to Pompey's lead in the six minutes which referee Phil Dowd added on at the end and they would have deserved it - so much did they dominate Bolton.

But one goal will clearly be enough to satisfy the Pompey faithful this time, after the frustration of a string of draws against relegation rivals.

All-action defender Johnson would have had a hat-trick in a first half which Pompey ruled but for the superb goalkeeping of Jaaskelainen.

But it was the home side who needed the points most, just four points above the relegation trapdoor and with title-chasing Manchester United to face at Old Trafford next Wednesday night.