PRESTON midfielder Lee Cartwright scored his first goal in more than two years as David Moyes' side won their fourth successive league match.

Cartwright, Preston's longest-serving player, had not netted for his home town club for since scoring against Millwall three seasons ago before heading home on the stroke of half-time.

Preston arrived at Fratton Park on the back of three league wins on the trot and continued their run thanks to Cartwright's far-post header from full-back Gary Alexander's cross from the right.

Northern Ireland striker David Healy thought he had crossed for Mark Rankine to open the scoring after just four minutes.

But the former Manchester United striker became the first of six players to go into Graham Barber's notebook on five minutes when he protested against the Hertfordshire-based official's decision to disallow the goal.

Barber went on to caution Preston duo Alexander and goal-scorer Cartwright as well as Pompey trio Justin Edinburgh, Steve Lovell and Neil Barrett.

Croatian international Robert Prosinecki shone for Pompey as the home side looked for a second-half equaliser.

But it was Lee Bradbury who came closest to restoring parity three minutes into the second half.

Bradbury fired right-footed towards the bottom corner of Tepi Moilanen's goal on 48 minutes, but the Finnish international tipped Bradbury's strike around the left-hand post.

Prosinecki went close with a 57th-minute free kick, six minutes before striking Moilanen's with an in-swinging corner.

Then Lovell headed wide from a Kevin Harper cross midway through the second half before having a penalty appeal turned down when Barber waved away claims that the youngster had been brought down by Alexander in the penalty area on 82 minutes.

A minute later, Lovell became the sixth and final player to enter Barber's black book for a two-footed challenge on Alexander by the corner flag.

RESULT: Portsmouth 0 Preston 1