Darius Vassell scored late on as Aston Villa moved up to sixth in the table.

Olof Mellberg’s shot cannoned off Linvoy Primus and then hit Vassell on its way into the Portsmouth net.

It looked as though the match was heading for a draw after Yakubu’s header had cancelled out Juan Pablo Angel’s first-half strike for Villa.

Lee Hendrie earlier hit a post and Yakubu and Dion Dublin both went close but it was Vassell’s late goal that was the difference between the sides.

Villa boss David O’Leary was unhappy his side had to play just two days after their FA Cup defeat at the hands of Manchester United.

But to his side’s credit they looked anything but jaded as they took the game to lowly Pompey from the start.

Hendrie headed over when well-placed and Peter Whittingham ended a determined run with a skidding left-foot shot that Pavel Srnicek saved low down.

The visitors threatened briefly on the break with the pace of Jason Roberts and Yakubu, but with 22 minutes on the clock they fell behind.

From deep on the left touchline Barry drilled over a searching cross, and Angel was on hand at the far post to head past Srnicek into the roof of the net.

Five minutes later they went close to doubling their advantage, but the lively Hendrie could only strike a post from a tight angle on his left foot.

Portsmouth had two chances to equalise before the break, but Thomas Sorensen tipped over Matthew Taylor’s curler then did well to block Alexei Smertin’s drive.

Harry Redknapp’s side came out after the interval in a determined vain, and it took them just four minutes to get back on level terms.

Patrik Berger swung in a free-kick from the left and an unmarked Yakubu stole in front of Sorensen to head high into the Villa net. It was Pompey’s first away league goal for 743 minutes.

Villa were stunned into action and Angel blazed wide just moments later, before McCann’s weak effort was easily gathered by Srnicek.

The game was by now swinging from end to end, with Yakubu posing a real danger to Villa.

He produced a stunning piece of control before lashing a shot wide and then saw an audacious overhead kick miss the target.

Villa responded as Whittingham fired over from a good position and then McCann saw a goal-bound effort blocked by an onrushing Arjan De Zeeuw.

Dublin headed straight at Srnicek from a corner and with just seven minutes left pinball in the Pompey box saw the ball ricochet off Vassell and into Srnicek’s net.