BATTLING Portsmouth clung onto the advantage of first-half goals by Benjani Mwaruwari and substitute Niko Kranjcar as Liverpool paid the penalty for fielding a weakened side at Fratton Park in between their Champions League semi-final games against Chelsea.

Rafael Benitez made seven changes from Wednesday's game at Stamford Bridge and errors by stand-ins Gabriel Paletta and Jerzy Dudek allowed Pompey to score twice between the 26th and 32nd minutes.

Boudewijn Zenden hit the crossbar from 25 yards and Sami Hyypia pulled one back in the 59th minute but Pompey stood firm to climb to seventh place.

Pompey came alive and went ahead in the 27th minute. A big clearance from David James bounced outside the Liverpool penalty area and Paletta appeared to let it go, but Dudek had not come quickly enough off his line. Benjani nodded it home for his sixth of the season.

Four minutes later it was 20 to the home side. Kanu did well to feed Lauren out on the right and the Cameroon player's long crossfield ball put in substitute Kranjcar.

The Croat coolly ploughed on and stroked the ball past Dudek with his right foot.

And despite Liverpool getting a goal back Pompey held their nerve and composure to take all three points.