York City 4 Portsmouth 2: York’s driving display is praised by Worthington

Goals by Wes Fletcher (2), Lewis Montrose and Ryan Jarvis condemned Pompey to their first defeat on the road this season.

Jed Wallace and substitute John Marquis replied for the visitors but the home side were full value for their victory and manager Nigel Worthington lauded his players at the final whistle.

He said: “I was delighted with the display. It was a good, all-round solid performance.

“It became interesting when they got the equaliser in terms of our response but we stayed positive and kept driving at them, which the players deserve great credit for.

“The last two goals were excellent from a football point of view and the way they were finished.”

The Minstermen forged in front against the 2008 FA Cup winners when Fletcher pounced after goalkeeper John Sullivan could only parry a third-minute free-kick from Josh Carson.

Portsmouth levelled on 53 minutes when Wallace scored a brilliant individual goal, ghosting past four home players before calmly rolling the ball into the bottom left-hand corner of Michael Ingham’s. But three goals in nine second-half minutes secured the points for York.

Montrose first converted from two yards after Sullivan had dropped Carson’s 57th-minute corner.

Jarvis then claimed his fifth goal of the season with a low 12-yard finish after being sent clear by Ryan Brobbel before turning provider for Fletcher to head in his second of the afternoon.

More good play down the left flank by Wallace saw Marquis net on 88 minutes but it only proved a consolation for the south coast club’s 1,357 travelling fans.

York City: Ingham; Oyebanjo, McGurk, Parslow, Davies; Carson, Montrose (Platt, 74), Whitehouse, Brobbel (Puri, 80); Jarvis, Fletcher (Bowman, 81). Unused substitutes: Kettings, Smith, Chambers, Fyfield.

Portsmouth: Sullivan; East, N’Gala, Bradley, Painter (Holmes, 70); Barcham, Ertl, Ferry (Padovani, 16), Wallace; Agyemang (Marquis, 64,), Connolly. Unused substitutes: Smith, Craddock, Butler, Whatmough.

Referee: M Heywood (Northwich).

Man of the match: Josh Carson.