A late penalty, emphatically converted by Matthew Taylor, set a winning seal on a nervous second half by Portsmouth in which they were shown the way in midfield by the excellent Gary Speed. But first half goals from Kanu and John Utaka, annulling Nicolas Anelka's early strike, were enough to guarantee Portsmouth their first win or, as their supporters will point out, ensure they remain unbeaten after three matches.

What really turned the match was the decision of the wily Harry Redknapp to start Kanu up front alongside Benjani, consigning the new �6m man, David Nugent, to the bench and an appearance only for the last quarter of an hour. The veteran Kanu rewarded his manager with the sort of craft which turns, and wins, matches, scoring Portsmouth's equaliser and laying on the second with a glorious, sweeping pass into the gallop of Utaka.

"He is everything I love about football, " said Redknapp. "I love people who can do stuff like that, create something out of nothing."

And, Redknapp did not omit to point out, Kanu cost the club nothing.

The win is a timely one for Portsmouth, who next play Chelsea, Arsenal and then Liverpool. "It's an incredible first half of the season for us, " said Redknapp. "We play the top four teams eight times out of the first 20 games."

For Sammy and his side, the season is so far pointless, but far from hopeless.

"I want to tell everybody, and particularly the people of Bolton, that I understand it is all about results, " he said.

"These are trying times but I can see some progress in what we are tryng to do."

Exactly what he was trying to do in taking off his captain, Kevin Nolan, before an hour had been played was less clear to many. Lee called it "tactical", adding "We needed to make a change to try and get us forward." Bolton certainly had much the better of the last half hour, though David James needed to make just one superlative stop, plucking a Gary Speed header out of the top corner.

With Sol Campbnell ruled out because of a groin strain, eyes were on James as the other half of the England veteran duo recalled for Wednesday's game with Germany and he duly provided a blooper for Bolton's opener.

Anelka outpaced Hermann Hreidarsson comfortably but the shot from an angle was straight at the keeper, finding its way into the net under his body.

Portsmouth needed four minutes to level with a textbook goal. Gary O'Neill centred from the right, Utaka at the far post knocked the ball down and Kanu volleyed it home. Portsmouth's second was just as eye-catching, with Utaka collecting from Kanu in the centre circle to sprint away, swerve round Jussi Jaaskelainen and shoot home robustly.

The late penalty soothed Portsmouth anxiety, Kanu falling spectacularly under Gerald Cid's challenge for Taylor to score low to Jaaskelainen's right.