Match Report
12′ [0 - 1] J. Defoe
40′ [0 - 2] Johnson
68′ [0 - 3] P. Crouch
Jermain Defoe kick-started Portsmouth's season in style with a brilliant brace and a clever assist to condemn Everton to a second successive Barclays Premier League home defeat.
Harry Redknapp's men arrived on Merseyside having lost their previous six league encounters and having failed to score in each of those defeats in a run stretching back to the end of last season.
But Defoe, 25, found the net with a typically predatory effort in the 12th minute - Portsmouth's first goal in 528 minutes - and then turned provider with an exquisite pass to send Glen Johnson for a second five minutes before the break.
Pompey's 2-0 advantage could have been halved two minutes after the restart but David James enhanced his status as England's first choice goalkeeper with a superb penalty save from former Pompey striker Yakubu.
Defoe, fittingly, had the final say with a brilliant chipped effort in the 69th minute that left Redknapp punching the air in delight.
Portsmouth - physically imposing and unchanged from the side which lost 1-0 to Manchester United - always had the edge on Moyes' men.
They were rewarded with the sort of goal Redknapp must have dreamed about when he persuaded Crouch to quit Liverpool this summer and join Pompey in a £11million move to partner Defoe.
NIMBLE FEET
It was so simple yet so effective and began when Crouch deftly flicked on Armand Traore's throw-in into Defoe's path.
The former Tottenham Hotspur man was 12 yards from goal but he showed outstanding awareness to shield the ball from Joleon Lescott and produce a delightful piece of footwork which engineered the space to turn and slip a low right-foot shot past a stunned Tim Howard.
The goal poured confidence into the visitors and full-backs Johnson and Traore were ready and willing to push forward at every opportunity.
In the 17th minute, Johnson advanced forward down the right flank and swung in a deep cross which found Crouch at the far post.
The towering forward nodded the ball back into Defoe's path and he again showed nimble feet to turn and rifle in a shot from 18 yards which drew a smart stop from Howard.
Everton began to wake up as the half progressed and a piece of clever play from former Portsmouth forward Yakubu almost reaped dividends in the 22nd minute.
LOFTED SHOT
The powerful Nigerian crossed dangerously from the left flank and Mikel Arteta arrived to connect with a half-volley which James turned onto the post with a brilliant one-handed save.
The ball rebounded off the post and straight back to Arteta but James quickly smothered the ball to deny the Spaniard once again. Everton continued to press forward and shortly after the half-hour mark they fashioned two opportunities which almost led to goals.
In the 32nd minute left-back Leighton Baines swung in a deep cross which James missed and which Vaughan headed back across the face of goal.
Yakubu somehow failed to connect with the ball and barely a minute later another teasing cross from Baines was missed by Vaughan with the goal at his mercy.
Pompey began to play on the counter-attack and they hit Everton with a devastating move which put them two goals ahead in the 40th minute.
Johnson, lurking on the right flank, cut infield and played a neat one-two with Defoe before stroking a low left-foot shot into the corner of the net.
Everton had an opportunity to cut the deficit two minutes after the restart when Johnson fouled Vaughan but James used his 6ft 5in frame to great effect with a fine save to his right to deny Yakubu from the penalty spot.
Portsmouth's third goal duly arrived in the 69th minute, again courtesy of Defoe, who chipped Howard with a brilliant lofted shot which bounced back off the crossbar and over the line.
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