West Ham 2 Portsmouth 4 By Jon West PA Sport

Portsmouth overwhelmed an under-strength West Ham side to bank three precious points on Harry Redknapp's return to Upton Park.

The Pompey boss had not taken a team to the ground since the Hammers fired him in May 2001 and the relegation-haunted side he now presides over had not previously won away from Fratton Park in the Barclays Premiership since October.

But today fortune was smiling on a man who is battling against successive top flight demotions as it proved to be the perfect time to take on Alan Pardew's side.

Fellow strugglers Birmingham and West Brom had feared as much and the Hammers boss turned his pre-match admission that first picks would be rested ahead of Monday's FA Cup quarter-final at Manchester City into reality.

Pompey went in at the break with the match already won thanks to goals from Lomana LuaLua, Sean Davis and Pedro Mendes - a feat made all the more remarkable as the south coast side had lost all nine previous league fixtures away from Fratton Park and were approaching eight hours without even a goal.

The Midlands clubs might now launch some form of protest but Pardew can point to the fact his starting line-up featured the usual defence, established front-men Teddy Sheringham and Bobby Zamora plus a trio of fringe men in Christian Dailly, Yaniv Katan and Clive Clarke who are all internationals.

With Shaka Hislop joining Roy Carroll on the injured list a new goalkeeper had also been required and Jimmy Walker's Premiership debut turned into a day to forget.

The former Walsall man, freshly recovered from the a serious knee injury sustained in last season's play-off final, was given an early indication of the lack of protection his defence was to afford him when Benjani Mwaruwari flashed an early volley wide and Walker also had to make a smart stop to deny Gary O'Neil.

Walker was beaten in the 18th minute as no defender cut out Matthew Taylor's cross from the left and LuaLua gleefully hammered the ball into the roof of the net.

A dive at O'Neil's feet was soon required but again Walker was picking the ball out of the net when Sean Davis took down Brian Priske's delivery from the right and blasted home as the Hammers defence watched.

That spurred the home side into some sort of response but when Nigel Reo-Coker's shot from the edge of the box had the beating of Dean Kiely, LuaLua - of all people - was there on the line to block.

Kiely saved from Sheringham after the veteran had curled a free-kick narrowly wide but Mendes had the ultimate response when he fired a screamer past the startled Walker from 25 yards out.

Pardew unsurprisingly made changes at the break with Clarke and Katan replaced by Yossi Benayoun and Marlon Harewood.

The newcomers both made for a flank each and their arrival did pep up the home side, especially when Harewood saw a drive from the right corner of the box smack against the crossbar, with Kiely nowhere.

Sheringham, the former Pompey man who turns 40 next month, pulled one back in the 69th minute, firing smartly into the roof of the net after Paul Konchesky's drive from the left had aped Harewood's effort by also hitting the woodwork, a post this time.

But there was no way Pompey were to be denied their first Upton Park success since George V was on the throne and substitute Svetoslav Todorov, who had replaced the lacktre Benjani just before the hour, punished his former club in the 76th minute with the simplest of finishes after LuaLua had set him up in front of goal with some byline trickery.

Influential defender Anton Ferdinand picked up an injury before Benayoun made it 4-2 in stoppage time, converting a pass from Zamora with a well-struck effort.

But the final whistle was the excuse the West Ham players - weary from Wednesday night's extra time cup elimination of Bolton - needed to forget this game and concentrate on the task soon ahead of them in Manchester.

Teams

West Ham Walker, Scaloni, Ferdinand (Fletcher 71), Gabbidon,Konchesky, Katan (Harewood 45), Reo-Coker, Dailly,Clarke (Benayoun 45), Zamora, Sheringham.

Subs Not Used: Bywater, Ashton.

Booked: Harewood.

Goals: Sheringham 69, Benayoun 90.

Portsmouth Kiely, Priske, Primus, O'Brien, Taylor,D'Alessandro, Pedro Mendes, Davis, O'Neil,Mwaruwari (Todorov 57), LuaLua.

Subs Not Used: Ashdown, Karadas, Pamarot, Routledge.

Booked: Pedro Mendes.

Goals: LuaLua 19, Davis 25, Pedro Mendes 42, Todorov 77.

Att: 34,837

Ref: A Wiley (Staffordshire).