Sheringham hat-trick sinks Bolton

Portsmouth 4 Bolton 0

The former Spurs star, who netted on the opening day against Aston Villa, was involved in the opener three minutes after the break when Steve Stone touched in a shot by Patrik Berger which Bolton keeper Jussi Jaaskelainen could only knock away with his feet.

Eight minutes later Sheringham netted a bullet header and in the closing five minutes put away Stone’s pass from close range before converting a penalty.

Portsmouth constructed the most creative attack of the game on 37 minutes when Sheringham and Steve Stone exchanged passes before Stone’s low cross from the right was snatched off Yakubu’s toe by Jaaskelainen.

Portsmouth survived a scare at the start of the second half when Davies’ shot flashed over their crossbar, before then going ahead through Steve Stone in the 48th minute.

The breakthrough owed everything to Berger’s skill and persistence.

The Czech star exchanged passes with Sheringham outside the area and then moved into the box, shrugging off two attempts before firing a low shot. Jaaskelainen kept it out with his feet, but could only stab the ball into the path of Stone, who gleefully bundled it into an empty net.

Portsmouth added a second goal with an explosive finish by Sheringham which almost brought the house down in the 56th minute.

Nigel Quashie flicked the ball out to Boris Zivkovic on the left and the Croat sent over a superb cross which Sheringham met with a bullet header inside the near post.

Sheringham made it 3-0 from a Stone pull-back in the 87th minute.

Two minutes later he completed his hat-trick from the penalty spot after substitute Vincent Pericard was pulled down by Ivan Campo.

PORTSMOUTH: Hislop, Schemmel, De Zeeuw, Stefanovic, Zivkovic, Stone, Quashie, Faye, Berger, Sheringham, Ayegbini.

BOLTON: Jaaskelainen, Barness, N’Gotty, Campo, Laville, Frandsen, Pedersen, Okocha, Gardner, Davies, Djorkaeff.