Pompey skipper O'Neil scored in both halves

Sloppy Wayne Bridge defending let in O'Neil to score in the first minute, only for Steed Malbranque's excellent curling shot to put Fulham level.

The lead was restored when a flick-on found Lomana Tresor LuaLua who held off Zat Knight to charge through and score.

O'Neil's second looped in off Phillippe Christanval before Michael Brown's red card compounded Fulham's misery.

With less than a minute gone, O'Neil set the tone for a frantic first half when Bridge's slip let him in at the far post to stab home Benjani Mwaruwari's raking cross and put Pompey 1-0 up.

Malbranque levelled things on 10 minutes, turning wide on the left to curl a beautiful shot from the edge of the box in off Dean Kiely's left-hand post.

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Sean Davis should have restored Portsmouth's lead from a similar position to the one from which O'Neil scored, only to put the ball over from just inches out.

But LuaLua made it 2-1 when Mwaruwari flicked on and he held off Zat Knight to charge through and score.

Brian McBride rattled the bar with a header as Fulham sought an equaliser, before Collins John shot wide with just the keeper to beat.

But it was Portsmouth who were next to hit the target, when O'Neil's shot from outside the box took a touch off Christanval's head and flew in beyond Mark Crossley's reach.

Fulham's task of getting back in the game was made harder when Brown was given a straight red for a two-footed lunge at Davis, prompting them into a desperate late rally, and causing Portsmouth to sit back and defend in depth.

Late on Heidar Helguson wasted a great chance for Fulham when he shot over, then saw a goalbound shot deflected wide by Andy O'Brien following a defensive mix-up.