Callum Lang scored his 10th goal of the season as Portsmouth marked John Mousinho’s second anniversary in charge with a 3-1 victory over Stoke in the Championship.
Colby Bishop bagged an early penalty before Lang and Connor Ogilvie sent Pompey above Stoke up to 18th – their highest position since the end of August.
Ben Wilmot had pulled the score back to 2-1 but the Potters, who have one victory in their last 14, could not prevent Portsmouth from a sixth win in seven home matches to ease their relegation worries.
Mousinho arrived at Fratton Park on January 20 in 2023 before securing the League One title, and as he marked two years in charge Stoke presented him with two gifts to take a 2-0 lead inside 13 minutes.
Josh Wilson-Esbrand, whose loan move to Stoke from Manchester City was announced at 10am, gave away a penalty just four minutes into his debut.
Pompey had sent a warning when Isaac Hayden failed to bundle the ball over the line from two yards before Wilson-Esbrand – who had worked with Mark Robins at Coventry – needlessly shoved Callum Lang over.
Colby Bishop dispatched the spot-kick, the 17th he had successfully converted since arriving at Pompey two-and-a-half years ago.
The Potters were disjointed and there was little surprised they found themselves 2-0 down inside 10 minutes through another defensive mistake.
This time, Pompy goalkeeper Nicolas Schmid’s long ball was allowed to bounce by Wilmot before Lang beat him in the foot race to loop a header over Viktor Jonasson.
The hosts’ 15-minute spell of dominance fizzled out as Stoke grew into the game. Lewis Baker left Schmid rooted to the spot as his effort buzzed just wide.
And they pulled one back through two atoning defenders. Wilson-Esbrand delivered a dream of a ball to the back post for Wilmot to nod in.
Bar a Baker shot from range, the first half lost attacking quality, but as they had at the start of the match, Pompey scored within five minutes of the restart.
West Ham loanee Freddie Potts’ in-swinging corner found Ogilvie with space to pull down and rifle into the roof of the net.
During Portsmouth’s unbeaten run at home, they have scored at least three times in five matches.
And the home side could have made it even more comfortable as Hayden slotted wide, Matt Ritchie had a shot in the box battered away and Bishop dragged an effort across the face of goal.
The result was payback for a 6-1 humbling at Stoke in October, with the visitors only mustering one, off-target, shot in the second half.
