A hat-trick from Caolan Lavery and a goal from Seb Dunbar gave Town a well deserved win.

Blues went ahead early in the second-half with Dunbar placing the ball past the goalkeeper into the bottom right corner of the goal.

Less than ten minutes later Town were two in front, Lavery finding the net with a great strike from outside the box.

The striker got his second near the end of the game after his shot found the bottom corner after a calamitous mistake from Tom Fry in the Portsmouth goal and Lavery completed his hat-trick in added on time.

Josh Carson forced a scrambling save to the left by Fry in the opening exchanges before Portsmouth were forced to make a substitution half an hour in, bringing on Luke Kendall after Carl Walshe clashed heads with Josh Meekings.

Town controlled much of the first-half and looked to have made the breakthrough when Sam Brandon's free-kick from the left was met by Lavery at the back post, who headed back into the area for Tom Eastman to convert but not before the offside flag was raised.

Seconds later Town were in again this time, Jack Simmons had the ball inside the left of the 18 yard box but he dragged his shot wide of the right post.

Portsmouth had their best chance of the first-half in added on time with a 25 yard effort that looked to be going over Ian McLoughlin but he managed to tip it over the bar for a corner.

Town made a substitution at half-time with Eastman being replaced by Rory McKeown and Blues had to use their final substitution, bringing on Joe Whight for the injured Meekings.

Blues finally broke the deadlock after 55 minutes when Dunbar was cleverly put through by Luke Hyam and fired neatly across the goalkeeper.

Six minutes later Town were two in front after Lavery latched onto a long ball and cut back on the right corner of the 18 yard box before sending a curler over the goalkeeper into the top corner.

Portsmouth rallied with a long range effort from Ashley Harris saved by McLoughlin and it was against the run of play that Blues made it three, Lavery claiming his second of the game after his weak hit shot squirmed underneath Fry.

The first year Academy scholar completed his hat-trick in stoppage time after latching onto a ball from Carson and sliding the ball pass Fry to wrap up a convincing win.

Report: Blair Ferguson