Bolton Wanderers went top of the table after this result and on this performance they look a good bet to go up. Fenwick, encouraged by his side's unbeaten run, decided to keep the same team which beat Swindon but on the bench Martin Allen returned.
Bolton wasted not time in getting forward and Pompey were in for one of their toughest games so far this season. Alan Thompson got in the first shot which Flahaven tipped over the bar for the first corner. That was cleared well but when McAnespie played in back the home crowed roared for what looked a certain penalty. Simpson appeared to use his hand to clear the ball but referee Ken Lynch indicated that Simpson had used his head.
It was intense pressure from Bolton and their main man was new Danish signing Michael Johansen who was a constant threat to Pompey's defenders. He got in another shot which again Flahaven parried away for a corner. That went for another and from Thompson's cross Blake headed over.
The only Pompey player who shone and looked like creating anything was Carter although Branagan had little to do in Bolton's goal. His throw though did have Pompey on the back foot again and through Johansen. He ran 50-yards and squared a ball for fellow Dane Frandsen to shoot but he shot well wide.
Awford then got booked for a challenge on Blake and McAnespie was ticked off for his foul on Turner. Bolton though still had the upper hand and Simpson's sloppy pass found McGinlay but he mis-hit the shot and Flahaven gathered it easily.
A minute later Flahaven had to make a sharper save when Blake played Frandsen in but Pompey's keeper block the shot and away for another corner. Pompey then won their first corner when Carter got onto McLoughlin's chipped ball and played it off Phillips. Burton met Simpson's kick and Russell couldn't squeeze the ball through and the loose ball had Bolton on the counter. Luckily for Pompey Thompson dragged a shot wide of the post.
Pompey won another corner which sadly came to nothing and Dobson was desperately lucky not to score an own goal in the 40th minute. McGinlay's low cross was intercepted by Dobson but it went towards his own goal but it drifted, fortunately, over.
Just before half-time Pompey got their first shot in when Burton squared it for Simpson to shoot from 20-yards but the shot was off target.
All Bolton's pressure in the first half was rewarded four minutes into the second half. It all began with Hall fouling Fairclough on the edge of Bolton's penalty area. Phillips played it quickly to Johansen who in turn found Frandsen. he knocked it out to the right to Lee and his excellent cross was met by a powerful header from Blake at the far post.
Pompey made a change in the 52nd minute with Burton, who had yet to get past Fairclough and Taggart, coming off for Bradbury. Pompey might have been level seconds later when Hall passed the ball out to Carter on the right and his cross was met by Hall but the headed looped wide.
Frandsen was then booked for a foul on Hall and Ken Lynch then infuriated the crowd for a second time. The two Dane's combined to get McGinlay away and he crashed to the floor under Pethick's tackle. The ref waved a corner instead of a penalty. He then made himself even more popular by booking Thompson for again a foul on Hall.
Flahaven pulled off another sharp save to keep Pompey in a game they'd hardly had a say in. This time he tipped over Taggart's looping header for Bolton's fifth corner of the half.
A sign of just how much the pressure was on was the sight of Bradbury bringing down Thompson on the edge of Pompey's area. Thompson's effort went over from the free-kick.
Bolton made a couple of changes and practically afterwards Pompey might have equalized. McLoughlin's left-wing cross was met by a flying header from Simpson but the ball went the wrong side of the post.
The home side scored a deserved second with six minutes remaining. McLoughlin brought down McGinlay 25-yards out and Thompson's chipped kick caught Pompey square and Fairclough nudged it in through Flahaven legs.
In the end the score-line didn't really tell the whole story but you could see why Bolton stuffed Grimsby 6-1 in midweek. Pompey just simply weren't in the same class as a team relegated from the Premiership and so Wednesday's trip to Wimbledon in the cup will be even harder.