On-loan defender Hayden Carter scored his first Portsmouth goal as they came from behind to beat Oxford with a 3-2 League One win and put a dent in the visitors’ promotion hopes.

In a hard-fought victory for Pompey, it was Oxford who took a third-minute lead.

A break down the Portsmouth right saw Marcus Browne cruise past Sean Raggett and fire an angled shot into the far corner.

It took until the 42nd minute for the hosts to equalize. Denver Hume’s cross went across the box to Joe Morrell, whose pinpoint return found the head of Raggett to nod into the top corner.

Two minutes into first-half stoppage time, Pompey took the lead.

Marcus Harness raced in behind the Oxford defence to find George Hirst, who ran on to drive the ball home.

The hosts doubled their lead 13 minutes into the second half when a headed clearance from the Oxford defence saw the ball fall to Blackburn loanee Carter, who lashed home from 25 yards.

Oxford grabbed a second – nine minutes from time – through Luke McNally but it was not enough to salvage a point.