Report by Ben Davis

Pompey got their first win of the season and it should have been their biggest win of the season. Lee Russell made up for his misses against QPR by netting the winner and that was his first goal for five years and only his second for Pompey. Martin Allen was ruled unfit so Igoe came back and Durnin came in for McLoughlin who was on international duty with Eire.
Within a minute of the start the visitors almost took the lead. Awford failed to control a throw-in inside Pompey's half and Gridelet hit a swerving, dipping, 20-yard shot which bounced off the top of the bar with Flahavan struggling to reach it.
Pompey were being patient and passing the ball around, making Southend do all the running. Yet they created little and there was always the threat of the 6ft 3in striker Boere.
The next chance fell to Gridelet again when he rose to meet Harris's cross but he put it over. Then Pompey's neat football almost created a goal for Burton. Awford and Hall sent Simpson free on the left but Burton's headed deflected off Lapper.
Then from a Pompey corner Southend almost gave Pompey the lead when Roget headed dangerously back towards his goal but luckily for him Royce was well placed.
Pompey then began do control things in the second half with Southend's front to unable to get clear of Butters and Russell. Simpson was now getting more space on the left and many of the small crowd believed a goal for Pompey wasn't far off.
Burton should have got it when Carter cut open Southend's defence but the youngster's first touch was poor and Royce cleared the danger.
As Pompey put Southend it wasn't a surprise when the Blues went ahead. All of the corners so far had been cross high into the box and it was a short corner which done the damage. Simpson played it short to Hall who knocked it back to Pethick. He then played it straight back through the defence where Simpson got to the by-line. His low cross was met by Russell although Burton may well have a claim for it.
Pompey's midfield was now bossing things with Durnin impressing and it was his excellent run which created havoc in Southend's box. In the end Hall, Carter and Simpson all had shots and Royce also got kicked in the face for his heroics in goal.
Southend came back in the last minutes as centre-back Roget went up front but they couldn't muster a real chance and Flahavan was handling very well to make sure Pompey would get the points.