Prince-Boateng 32 (pen)          Rooney 25 (pen), 48, 52 (pen), Giggs 87

Wayne Rooney’s hat-trick and Ryan Giggs’ 100^th goal in the EPL gave Manchester United a convincing-looking victory at bottom club Portsmouth.

But that doesn’t tell the whole story, as Portsmouth, under newly-appointed manager Avram Grant, were the better side for over 50 minutes.

Yet they were three-one behind by then, thanks to Rooney, Giggs, United keeper Tomasz Kuszczak and a lack of composure in front of goal.

United boss Sir Alex Ferguson watched from the stands as he served the first match of his two-match touchline ban for comments made about referee Alan Wiley. And he saw his team pressurised from the off.

Pompey’s French striker Aruna Dindane missed two good chances to give his side an early lead.

Kuszczak blocked his first effort and he headed badly wide when found unmarked eight yards out Jamie O’Hara, while O’Hara himself forced the best out of Kuszczak with a fierce 20-yard drive.

But United took the lead on 25 minutes after Rooney was upended in the box by a clumsy Michael Brown challenge, and dispatched the spot-kick himself with aplomb.

Portsmouth equalised seven minutes later when referee Mike Dean saw a United infringement in the goalmouth, and awarded a penalty - taking players and crowd by surprise.

Kevin Prince-Boateng, who failed from the spot at Stoke last week, made no mistake this time.

But Portsmouth were hit by two sucker punches shortly after the interval.

Rooney made it 2-1 on 48 minutes, converting a deft Giggs pass. And Giggs was felled in the penalty area by a “forward’s challenge” from Frederic Piquionne six minutes later, Rooney again clinical from the spot to complete his hat-trick.

United dominated thereafter, with Giggs’ superb 20-yard free-kick on 87 minutes proving the icing on the cake, although Kuszczak had to be on top form again to push John Utaka’s injury-time volley onto the crossbar for luckless Pompey.