ACCRINGTON STANLEY – 4

PORTSMOUTH – 1

COLBY Bishop scored a brace as Accrington Stanley ended Portsmouth's seven game unbeaten run with a fantastic 4-1 win at the Wham Stadium.

Pompey took the lead through Ronan Curtis in the first half, but Ellis Harrison headed into his own goal to level things at the break.

Bishop's double then came either side of a Dion Charles strike as John Coleman's side are now four games unbeaten.

The two sides eased themselves into the match as the opening stages saw exchanges in possession and little chances created.

Stanley grew into the action though and created their first opportunity after 15 minutes as Sam Finley drove forward from midfield and whipped a dangerous ball in from the right across the face of goal.

Charles did brilliantly to work an opportunity for himself on the edge of the box as he dropped a shoulder to escape the Portsmouth defender.

The striker then let his shot fly on the edge of the box, but he dragged it just wide of the far post.

The opening goal almost came from the unlikeliest of sources as Jordan Clark almost put his side ahead with a header from a long Joe Pritchard ball into the back post area.

Crag Macgillivray got a hand on it to steer it wide.

Portsmouth opened the scoring 10 minutes from the break through a Curtis header.

Harrison crossed the ball into a dangerous area and Curtis was there to head in off the post.

Jerome Opoku almost levelled three minutes later as he let fly from 35 yards, but his shot struck the post.

Stanley pulled themselves level on the brink of half time as Joe Pritchard’s corner was headed into his own goal by Harrison.

It was a finish any Stanley player would’ve been proud of.

Referee Martin Coy was unmoved at the start of the second period after Clark was hauled down inside the area - play was waved on. Joe Bursik showed exactly why Coleman picked him ahead of Dimitar Evtimov to start between the sticks as he pulled off a superb flying to save from a powerful Harrison effort.

An hour into the game, Stanley took the lead through Charles after some magnificent work by Jerome Opoku down the left hand side to set the striker up.

Charles' effort from the edge of the box was powerful, but you'd expect the Pompey goalkeeper to have dealt with it better.

Minutes later Stanley almost had the points sealed as Pritchard's whipped cross evaded everyone and struck the inside of the far post.

The Reds all but sealed the three points with 20 minutes left after Bishop turned home a rebound from a tight angle for his 11th goal of the season.

Bishop added to his tally almost 10 minutes later with a lovely, composed finish inside the area.

Stanley XI: Bursik, Johnson, Hughes, Sykes, Opoku, Clark, Conneely, Finley, Pritchard, Bishop, Charles

Subs: Evtimov, Sherif, Zanzala, Rodgers, Carvalho, Alese, Diallo

Portsmouth XI: Macgillivray, Walkes, Naylor, Marquis, Curtis, Bolton, McCrorie, Harness, Raggett, Harrison, Close

Subs: Bass, Downing, Williams, Pitman, Cannon, Evans, Casey