Michael Brown struck three minutes from time at Fratton Park to give Sheffield United victory over Division One leaders Portsmouth.

The result leaves the Blades still 10 points behind Pompey in third place, but with two games in hand.

This was a great advertisement for First Division football and was real Roy of the Rovers stuff Neil Warnock, Sheff Utd boss

United took the lead through Peter Ndlovu after 24 minutes and survived a second-half rally by the home side.

Vincent Pericard and Paul Merson hit the woodwork for Portsmouth before Gary O'Neil finally levelled with 12 minutes to go.

But Brown's cool finish gave the Blades their eighth away win of the season.

Ndlovu powered the visitors in front after good work from Michael Tonge and United could have extended their lead before the break.

But Portsmouth upped their game in the second half, with Pericard and Merson coming agonisingly close to an equaliser.

We got on top of them after the interval and I thought we were unlucky not to get something Harry Redknapp, Portsmouth boss

Merson was unlucky on 74 minutes when he struck his free-kick from 25 yards over the wall but against the crossbar.

Three minutes later Todorov slipped the ball through for O'Neil to poke his shot over the advancing Kenny.

And Portsmouth then had a penalty appeal turned down when Pericard's header struck the raised arms of Shaun Murphy.

But in the 88th minute, Ndlovu fed the ball through to Brown who kept cool and slotted the ball past Hislop.

Portsmouth: Hislop, Stone, Primus, Foxe, Festa, Taylor, O'Neil, Quashie, Merson, Todorov, Pericard. Subs: Kawaguchi, Diabate, Tavlaridis, Harper, Burton.

Sheff Utd: Kenny, Jagielka, Murphy, Page, Quinn, Montgomery, Brown, McCall, Ndlovu, Tonge, Allison. Subs: Kozluk, Ten Heuvel, Kabba, Smith, Peschisolido.

Referee: C Wilkes (Gloucestershire)