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Portsmouth got their Premier League campaign up and running with a comfortable 3-0 win over Everton at Goodison Park.

Jermain Defoe and Glen Johnson were on target before summer signing Peter Crouch opened his account for his new club, while David James put in a virtuoso performance at the other end.

Just two fixtures into the fledgling season, it was difficult to imagine any club facing a must-win game, but having fallen to straight defeats in their opening two matches - albeit against Chelsea and Manchester United - Pompey were in desperate need of points.

The three won on Merseyside lifted Harry Redknapp's side off the bottom of the table and went a long way to cancelling out the minus-five goal difference they boasted heading into the game.

Everton dominated possession for much of the match, but it was Portsmouth's ability to soak that up and hit on the break that was the hosts' undoing.

Certainly, Everton looked in control of the game during the opening exchanges, only to fall to a classic sucker punch on 12 minutes when Defoe swooped to break the deadlock.

The goal came as a relief to Pompey, not only because it was the first they had scored this season - in their third game - but also because Defoe's strike partnership with Crouch finally bore some fruit.

It was Crouch's deft flick on that Defoe collected before shimmying several times to lose the Everton defence and firing a low shot past Tim Howard in the Toffees goal.

Defoe then turned provider just before half-time, laying on a super reverse pass for Johnson to run on to and finish with aplomb with the outside of his left boot.

Two-nil down and it was no surprise that the half-time whistle was accompanied by a barrage of whistles from the home crowd, who were audibly aggrieved by their side's inability to convert possession into goals.

But the hosts were gifted a golden opportunity to get right back into the match immediately after the restart as referee Mark Halsey adjudged Glen Johnson to have tripped James Vaughan in the box.

James - who, one brief rush of blood to the head on 32 minutes aside, was in supreme form - flung himself to his right to turn Yakubu's effort round the post.

The third goal killed off whatever hopes Everton harboured of getting back into the game, Crouch nodding the ball into an empty net after Defoe's brilliantly-executed chip rebounded back down off the underside of the bar with Howard beaten all ends up.

But for all Crouch and Defoe's exertions up front, Pompey were grateful to James - and not only for his penalty save.

With the score at 1-0, the England keeper displayed incredible reactions to divert Mikel Arteta's half-volley on the upright before keeping out the Spaniard for a second time off the rebound.

And then soon after his penalty stop, James got a big hand to Yakubu's fierce drive to preserve his side's lead.

Everton could easily have been awarded a second penalty on 54 minutes, but Mr Halsey opted not to point to the spot for a second time even though replays showed contact between James and Vaughan in the box.

But it was not to be Everton's day, as Joleon Lescott's header over the bar in stoppage time proved.

But with Ecuador midfielder Segundo Castillo - in the stands watching his new club - Denmark defender Lars Jacobsen and striker Louis Saha to come into the side, Everton still have plenty to look forward to.

Mike Hytner / Eurosport