Brown strikes late to boost Blades’ hopes of promotion

Portsmouth 1 Sheffield Utd 2

Portsmouth still have a healthy 10-point cushion over the third-placed Blades, but Neil Warnock’s team have two games in hand over the leaders and one over Leicester.

United’s remarkable season has them targeting promotion and Worthington Cup glory, and they were never intimidated at Fratton Park.

Having taken the lead through Peter Ndlovu after 24 minutes, United survived two second-half scares when Vincent Pericard and Paul Merson hit the woodwork.

Gary O’Neil looked to have rescued a point for Portsmouth when he netted with 12 minutes to go, but Brown’s cool finish produced the Blades’ eighth away win of the season.

For a time, Portsmouth looked the more likely winners and they had a penalty appeal when Pericard’s header struck the raised arms of Shaun Murphy but it wasn’t their night.

PORTSMOUTH: Hislop, Stone (Harper 72), Primus, Foxe, Festa (Tavlaridis 76), Taylor, O’Neil, Quashie, Merson, Todorov (Burton 86), Pericard.

SHEFF UTD: Kenny, Jagielka, Murphy, Page, Quinn, Montgomery, Brown, McCall, Ndlovu, Tonge, Allison.

Referee: C Wilkes (Gloucestershire).

Last night’s results: Division One: Portsmouth 1 Sheff Utd 2.

Tennents Scottish Cup, Second Round: Hamilton v East Fife P; Forfar 3 Stenhousemuir 1; Morton 4 Deveronvale 3; Raith 3 Montrose 1; Stranraer 4 Stirling 1.