Birmingham 2 Pompey 3 Frederic Piquionne scored twice as Pompey Reserves beat their Birmingham counterparts in an entertaining match at St Andrew’s. The Frenchman’s brace and a goal from Paris Cowan-Hall had put Pompey into a comfortable three-goal lead but the hosts scored twice in five second-half minutes to ensure a nervy end to the match. All of the early pressure came from Birmingham and Kevin Phillips forced Jamie Ashdown to make a low save after just 30 seconds. Less than a minute later Pompey’s keeper was called into action again, this time to deny James O’Shea. The visitors were looking vulnerable against a strong Birmingham line-up and Gary McSheffrey was next to go close, shooting narrowly over the crossbar. Pompey’s first decent chance arrived on 16 minutes. Gael Nlundulu went agonisingly close to breaking the deadlock, clipping the outside of the post after bringing down Luke Wilkinson’s ball. They were ahead less than a minute later, however, when PIQUIONNE lashed home a shot that Maik Taylor could only help into the net. Nlundulu should have doubled Pompey’s advantage soon but he smashed the ball over after latching onto Danny Webber’s pass. The game was flowing from end to end and Ashdown made a splendid one-handed save to beat away McSheffrey’s shot. Cowan-Hall’s persistence then won Pompey a free-kick just outside the box that Eugen Bopp fired just wide. The visitors had a massive let-off on 35 minutes when the usually prolific Phillips volleyed over from just a couple of yards out. McSheffrey then burst through on goal only to be denied by Ashdown, before Lee Carsley shot over as the interval approached. But with one minute of stoppage time already played, PIQUIONNE grabbed his second goal of the night when Taylor could only parry Nlundulu’s shot into the Frenchman’s path. Half Time: Birmingham 0 Pompey 2 Pompey extended their advantage just a minute into the second half when COWAN-HALL lashed home an unstoppable volley that left Taylor with no chance. Ashdown then ensured the visitors preserved their three-goal lead with a smart stop to keep out O’Shea’s shot. Piquionne could have had his hat-trick but diverted Webber’s cross wide, before the latter fired over the bar. Birmingham finally got the goal they had been threatening all night on 55 minutes when David Joyce got round the back of Pompey’s defence and slid the ball past Ashdown. They pulled another goal back soon after. Ashdown did well to get a hand to Liam Ridgewell’s header after the defender had met Carsley’s cross, but the ball still rolled agonisingly over the line. Webber could have restored Pompey’s cushion on 70 minutes, firing into the side netting after working himself into a shooting position. Birmingham put Pompey’s goal under intense pressure as they tried to salvage a point and Ashdown did well to deny Jake Jervis, before his defence somehow blocked two frantic attempts to force the ball over the line. With time running out Phillips should have grabbed a late equaliser but after rounding Ashdown, he fired wide of the post. Ashdown, who had been superb all night, then clawed away McSheffrey’s free-kick and kept out Phillips’ deflected shot as Pompey held on for all three points. Pompey: Ashdown; Wilkinson, Williamson, Kilbey (Ryan 41), Sowah; Cowan-Hall, Bopp, Mahoto, Nlundulu; Webber, Piquionne (M.Smith 60) Subs not used: T.Smith, Gregory, Samba Birmingham: Taylor, Joyce, J.Rowe, Ridgewell, L.Rowe, O’Shea, Carsley, Johnson, McSheffrey, Bent (Jervis 46), Phillips Subs not used: Sammons, Butland, Hronec, Preston Referee: Mr S. Ross