Saintly performance by Beattie finishes off Pompey.
Southampton 3 Portsmouth 0 [ Sunday 21 December 2003 ]
Pompey fort bravely playing 5 against Saints' 4 across midfield in order to try and stifle play in the centre of the park, a plan which was working well until the opener on the 34th minute when Saints snatched the lead via the most unlikeliest of sources - a Jason Dodd corner.
Dodd was on the left wing and curled the ball in with his right foot, It caught the wind slightly and then played a game of pinball between the bar, post and the back of Dejan Stefanovic's head who ultimately turned it in.
But if the opener represented the ridiculous, there was no doubting the sublime skill of Marian Pahars who wrapped up victory with a beautiful goal after 67 minutes. He turned outside and then cut inside between two Pompey defenders before picking his spot in the far corner with a beautiful curling shot which gave keeper Harald Wapenaar no chance.
Saints rounded off their victory with a third in the second minute of injury time. Chris Baird flicked the ball through to fellow substitute Kevin Phillips on the by-line. He pulled it back to Dodd, whose first-time cross was met by the flying head of James Beattie who steered it home, deftly dodging his marker Linvoy Primus.
Pompey have not won in Southampton for 15 years and Harry Redknap's men, for whom elevation to the Premiership was the culmination of every Pompey fans dream, will spend the festive season anchored in the bottom three ahead of a New Year relegation battle.
Southampton (4-4-2)
Niemi, Dodd, Lundekvam, Svensson, Higginbotham, Prutton, Telfer, Marsden (Baird 90), Ormerod (Phillips 81) , Beattie, Pahars (McCann 80).
Subs (not used) Svensson, Jones.
Booked
Portsmouth (3-5-1-1)
Wapenaar, Stefanovic, Foxe, Primus, Schemmel (Zivkovic 56), Taylor, Smertin, Hughes (Ayegbeni 59), Sherwood, Roberts, Sheringham.
Subs (not used) Burton, Srnicek.
Booked Foxe, Schemmel, Sherwood.