Paddy Lane cemented Portsmouth’s place at the Sky Bet League One summit with the game’s only goal as the leaders defeated bottom side Carlisle 1-0 at Brunton Park.
Lane scored his 10th goal of the campaign – and third in two games – to break the Cumbrians’ stubborn resistance after 62 minutes.
But the scorer was indebted to substitute Abu Kamara’s surging run and incisive through-ball minutes after coming off the bench.
Portsmouth’s victory completed a league double over Paul Simpson’s side and condemned their hosts to a sixth successive defeat.
That is Carlisle’s worst run in the league for more than two decades and they also set an unwanted club record of 25 league games without a clean sheet.
The now 46-point gulf between the teams was not, however, always evident.
Portsmouth were not at their best, notably in the first half when Carlisle’s Jordan Lane went close several times.
Tom Lowery almost broke the stalemate for Pompey, roared on by 1,848 travelling fans, only to hit a post after 34 minutes, leaving Lane to finally settle the contest.
