A fine away win this, after Portsmouth squandered the chance to take a first half lead just before half-time when ex-Hammer Jermaine Defoe missed his spot kick - to the delight of the travelling faithful.

The Hammers, who dropped behind early in the eighth minute to a Behladi goal only to equalise through the increasingly impressive Jack Collinson, came good late on when Carlton Cole was on hand to tap in after seventy minutes with Craig Bellamy scoring twice impressively to wrap it up.

It was exciting Boxing Day fare with the play travelling from end to end and, in fact, moments before Bellamy raced clear to score West Ham's third, Portsmouth could have been level as the ball hit the post with the clearance flying the length of the pitch for the Welsh International to latch onto.

As against Aston Villa, Bellamy was almost unplayable, his speed a constant menace to Pompey who struggled to cope. However, unlike the Villa game, Bellamy had the extra break he needed in front of goal and, in what is turning out to be a strange season for clubs at both ends of the table; the acquired points enabled the Hammers to leap up the table.