Portsmouth edge seven goal thriller

Portsmouth 4 Fulham 3

Portsmouth 4 Fulham 3

Aiyegbini Yakubu's clinical hat-trick gave Portsmouth their first win of the season in a thrilling 4-3 victory over Fulham at Fratton Park.

Portsmouth found themselves 3-0 up after 28 pulsating minutes in which Eyal Berkovic volleyed home and Yakubu converted a penalty before steering a left-footed shot past Edwin van der Sar for his second.

The drama moved up a gear on 39 minutes, though, when Andy Cole's looping header gave the Cottagers hope and Luis Boa Morte's 41st-minute strike got them back in the game.

The fireworks continued in the second half, with van der Sar denying Ricardo Fuller and Steve Stone with superb saves and Shaka Hislop somehow tipping Andy Cole's close-range header over the crossbar.

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Yakubu then coolly sidefooted home on 72 minutes to make it 4-2 but Carlos Bocanegra's headed goal set up a grandstand finish which saw Pompey hold on for all three points.