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GET IN THERE...Johnson, Greening and Campbell mob goal hero Horsfield after grabbing his second |
Horsfield, who set up Albion's Great Escape by scoring with his first touch against Alain Perrin's men in the final game of last term, struck in the 2nd and 60th minutes to make it four points from two games.
Pompey winger Laurent Robert reduced the deficit just four minutes after Horsfield's second with a stunning long-range free-kick, but it proved too little too late for the South Coast outfit.
Robson rang three changes from the goalless opener at Manchester City, with fit-again Andy Johnson, Horsfield and full debutant Steve Watson replacing Junichi Inamoto, Kanu and Martin Albrechtsen.
New boy Nathan Ellington, Robert Earnshaw and former Fratton Park forward Diomansy Kamara all figured on an attacking Baggies substitutes' bench.
Perrin also made one alteration from Pompey's 2-0 home defeat by Spurs as the injured Ivica Mornar made way for fit-again Gary O'Neil.
Horsfield was left out altogether at Eastlands seven days ago but took less than two minutes to open his and Albion's account for the season.
The former Blues man ghosted between Pompey defenders Dejan Stefanovic and Gregory Vignal to plant a downward header into the roof of Sander Westerveld's net from Jonathan Greening's exquisite left-wing cross.
It was the perfect start to Albion's first home game of the season and Horsfield's strike crowned a bright opening spell by the Baggies.
However, the 13th minute almost proved unlucky for Robson's men when Robert put former Newcastle team-mate Lomana LuaLua through on goal.
Thankfully, Thomas Gaardsoe was alert and produced a last-ditch challenge which, although he didn't make contact with the ball, did enough to put off Portsmouth's livewire
frontman and Chris Kirkland gathered.
Albion were soon back on the attack and it could have been 2-0 in the 22nd minute.
Skipper Kevin Campbell's sublime flick with the outside of his boot sent Zoltan Gera racing away down the right.
The Hungarian measured his low cross to perfection, only for Horsfield to side-foot the ball well wide under pressure from Andy Griffin.
Albion looked relatively comfortable but their failure to clear a Pompey corner properly led to the visitors' first effort on goal in the 34th minute.
Azar Karadas fed strike partner LuaLua and the Congo international held off Ronnie Wallwork before fizzing a right-footed drive just past Chris Kirkland's far post.
Johnson would have been delighted to have been granted his first competitive outing since suffering a serious knee injury at Fulham in January.
And the former Welsh international went close just before the break.
The ball pinged around the Pompey box before falling perfectly to Johnson 15 yards out and his right-foot curler flew just wide of Westerveld's far post.
Johnson and Campbell then linked up to create a shooting opportunity for marauding full-back Paul Robinson and former Liverpool shot-stopper Westerveld was relieved to see the ex-Watford defender's 25-yard drive whistle just past his near post.
But LuaLua continued to prove a threat at the other end and the jet-heeled striker surged into the Baggies box before dragging a left-foot shoot across the face of Kirkland's goal from the tightest of angles.
The second half started with Pompey winning two free-kicks on the edge of the Baggies box, but both of Robert's efforts failed to trouble Kirkland.
Moments later, Albion were exposed down their right flank when Westerveld's throw-out sparked a swift Pompey counter-attack.
Yet Kirkland could again merely stand and watch as LuaLua shot harmlessly wide from just inside the box.
Albion had taken their time getting going in a bitty opening to the second period - but Horsfield fired them into dreamland on the hour-
mark.
The ex-Wigan powerhouse collected Gera's neat lay-off and turned inside Vignal before firing goalwards.
A combination of Westerveld's right hand and Griffin's attempted clearance failed to keep out Horsfield's left-footed drive, which crept just over the line, although Campbell made doubly sure by blasting the loose ball into the roof of the net.
However, Albion's two-goal cushion lasted only four minutes as summer signing Robert grabbed his first Pompey goal with a stunning 30-yard free-kick which nestled inside the helpless Kirkland's top-left corner.
Robert free-kicks were becoming a regular feature in this topsy-turvy second half and from another set piece by the Frenchman, the unmarked John Viafara wastefully headed over from 12 yards.
Westerveld had to pull off a fine save to prevent substitute Robert Earnshaw making it 3-1 in stoppage time - but Pompey also had chances to snatch a point from the jaws of defeat.
Gaardsoe had to be on his toes to head LuaLua's threatening cross away before Pompey sub Giannis Skopelitis spurned a glorious opportunity to make it 2-2 when he blazed high and wide from Robert's low cross.
But Albion held on to bag a deserved victory.
ALBION (4-4-2): Kirkland, Watson (Earnshaw 83), Gaardsoe, Clement, Robinson; Gera (Albrechtsen 67), Wallwork, Johnson, Greening; Horsfield, Campbell. Subs not used: Kuszczak (gk), Kamara, Ellington.
PORTSMOUTH (4-4-2): Westerveld; Griffin (Skopelitis 84), O'Brien, Stefanovic, Vignal; Hughes, Viafara, O'Neil (Todorov 71), Robert; LuaLua, Karadas (Pericard 81). Subs not used: Ashdown (gk), Taylor.
GOALS: ALBION - Horsfield (2 & 60). PORTSMOUTH - Robert (64).
BOOKINGS: ALBION - Campbell (foul 56), Gera (foul 65), Johnson (foul 87), Horsfield (unsporting behaviour 90+1). PORTSMOUTH - Viafara (56), Karadas (dissent 57), Vignal (unsporting behaviour 90+1).
REFEREE: M Riley (Leeds).
ATTENDANCE: 24,404.
ALBION STARMAN: Geoff Horsfield.
(PICS BY LAURIE RAMPLING)
