POMPEY 2 LUTON 0
Matt Tubbs and Ryan Taylor were on target as Pompey returned to winning ways with a 2-0 victory over Luton.
It took just three minutes for Tubbs to smartly volley home the opener and send a packed Fratton Park wild with delight.
The Hatters improved after the interval, but Taylor halted their charge by doubling the lead with a fierce finish.
Andy Awford made one enforced change from the side that drew at Accrington the previous week.
With Josh Passley carrying a knock, Andy Barcham took his spot on the right.
Recalled utility man Danny East was named on the bench, while former Pompey trainee Luke Wilkinson and ex-loanee Paul Benson were in Luton’s squad.
The visitors launched a threatening attack in the opening seconds, but the move broke down before they could test Paul Jones.
Instead it was the Blues who were celebrating an early goal as TUBBS impressively broke the deadlock.
Jed Wallace sent a ball into the box and the striker met it with a neat volley that left Hatters keeper Elliot Justham with no chance.
The rest of the half failed to live up to that frenetic start, with neither stopper having much to do in a mostly flat opening 45 minutes.
Wallace did well to win possession in the centre on 13 minutes, but his threaded pass was just too heavy for Barcham.
At the other end, Pompey survived the ball pinging around their box when Cameron McGeehan fired over from 20 yards.
Barcham then burst forward and saw a curled effort blocked, with Luton skipper Steve McNulty off the pitch after suffering a head wound.
The Hatters were passing the ball around nicely without looking particularly threatening.
But the Blues received a huge let-off on 35 minutes when Jones hit a clearance straight at McGeehan, only for the ball to ricochet wide.
Luton had a couple of other half-chances before the break, as Alex Lawless volleyed over from long-range before Mark Cullen also failed to find the target with a header.
Half Time: Pompey 1 Luton 0
Pompey created an opening seconds after the restart as Wallace sent in a low cross that Justham did well to claim before it could reach Tubbs.
But Luton boss John Still had obviously fired his players up at the break, with the visitors soon beginning to threaten.
It took brave blocks by first Paul Robinson and then James Dunne to keep out goal-bound efforts on 51 minutes.
Luke Guttridge then wasted a decent opportunity by firing straight into the wall after Danny Hollands had been penalised for a foul on Andy Drury.
But the Blues had good chance of their own on the hour mark when Wallace’s low drive almost snuck inside the post after catching out Justham.
They did double their advantage on 62 minutes, though, after Wallace’s cross was only partially cleared.
The ball fell kindly for TAYLOR, who continued his fine scoring form by fiercely volleying home from 10 yards.
Robinson then ensured they kept their two-goal advantage by bravely throwing himself in the way after McGeehan had tried to force Cullen’s header over the line.
The skipper received a blow to the head as a reward and had to limp off to be replaced by Adam Webster.
East then made his first Pompey appearance of the season on 79 minutes when he replaced Barcham on the right.
Tubbs almost capped a successful afternoon by adding a third goal when he tried to capitalise on Fraser Franks’ poor back-pass, but Justham just about beat him to the ball.
The tireless Taylor was then given a standing ovation when he made way for Craig Westcarr for the closing stages.
Luton kept pushing in search of a goal that would set-up a nervy finale and Butler cleared Wilkinson's header off the line, but the Blues held on to claim all three points.
Pompey (3-5-2): Jones; Devera, Robinson (c) (Webster 72), Whatmough; Barcham (East 79), Dunne, Wallace, Hollands, Butler; Tubbs, Taylor (Westcarr 85)
Goals: Tubbs 3, Taylor 62
Booked: Whatmough, Butler
Subs not used: Bass, Fogden, Atangana, Chaplin
Luton (4-1-4-1): Justham; Harriman, McNulty (c) (Franks 46), Wilkinson, Howells; Drury; Whalley (Oduwa 64), McGeehan, Guttridge, Lawless; Cullen (Benson 75)
Booked: Wilkinson, Cullen
Subs not used: King, Robinson, Stockley, Lee
Referee: Darren Drysdale
Attendance: 17,149 (2,680 away fans)