Shaka keeps clean sheet for Pompey

LONDON:  Former England midfielder Steve Stone scored in the fourth minute to give Portsmouth a 1-0 home win over Wolverhampton Wanderers and an eight-point lead in the English First Division yesterday.

Trinidad and Tobago custodian Shaka Hislop keep a clean sheet as Portsmouth marched towards promotion to the Premier League next season. Second-placed Leicester City had the chance to cut Pompey’s lead back to five points if they won their evening match at home to Preston North End. Reading climbed to third — the first of the four promotion playoff places — when they came from behind to beat Crystal Palace 2-1 at home with a 90th-minute winner from midfielder James Harper. They went two points clear of FA Cup semi-finalists Sheffield United, who were held 0-0 at Stoke City. Portsmouth have 79 points, Leicester 71, Reading 64 and Sheffield United 62. Nottingham Forest, beaten 1-0 at Brighton, and Wolves are both on 59 in the other two playoff berths. Ipswich retained their slim chances of edging into the playoffs with a 1-0 win at relegation-threatened Sheffield, Wednesday, with an early strike by Irish World Cup midfielder Matt Holland. They are on 54 points in seventh place.