Kranjcar goal keeps Pompey’s Euro push on track

West Ham 0 Portsmouth 1

Niko Kranjcar’s 61st-minute strike kept Portsmouth on the winning path tonight after their weekend Wembley heroics and left the manager’s former club West Ham in deep gloom.

Kranjcar drilled in a pass by Arnold Mvuemba for his fifth goal of the season, and made all West Ham’s first-half superiority count for nothing even though David James had to produce a fine save to deny Dean Ashton.

Despite ample possession West Ham failed to fire again after early near-misses and Kranjcar was just over with a superb shot from David Nugent’s pass a few minutes before scoring.