Nicolas Anelka gave Lee a flying start with an early strike but three minutes later Kanu, making his first start of the season, struck his first goal to equalise.

The former Arsenal striker set up Nigerian team-mate John Utaka to speed through for a second on the half hour, before Matt Taylor clinched the points four minutes from time from the penalty spot after Kanu had been brought down by Gerald Cid.

With Sol Campbell still out, record signing Sulley Muntari suspended and Pedro Mendes the latest casualty it was a tough ask again for Pompey after the battling midweek draw with Manchester United.

Harry Redknapp’s injury-hit side featured a quartet of predominately left-footed players in his back-four – exactly how the game against United finished on Wednesday after Noe Pamarot pulled a hamstring which also ruled him out of this game.

Bolton captain Kevin Nolan was soon pushing up from midfield to support lone striker Nicolas Anelka, a long-time Pompey transfer target.

Anelka surged forward onto a pass by El-Hadji Diouf, held off Hermann Hreidarsson and blasted through the legs of goalkeeper David James to give Bolton a 12th-minute lead.

But it did not last long – three minutes to be precise.

Kanu had already had an effort ruled out for alleged pushing at a corner by Sean Davis, when he tapped in the leveller after Utaka had set the opening up by knocking back Gary O’Neil’s cross for the striker.

Bolton hit back with Anelka sprinting down the right to fashion a cross which eventually fell for Mikel Alonso – older brother of Liverpool’s Xabi – to strike a shot which was blocked.

But Benjani, looking as dangerous as he did against United in midweek, should have done better with another Utaka cross instead of heading over from close-range.

The lead was not far away, though for Pompey and Utaka’s joy was unbounded as he sped clear on the half-hour mark onto Kanu’s clever flick, rounded Jussi Jaaskelainen and fired home for his second goal of the campaign.

With Anelka around, Pompey could never relax and his header soon after Pompey’s second goal was a fraction off the mark, with James struggling.

But there was never enough support for the Frenchman and when Bolton took off Andranik Teymourian and captain Nolan early in the second half there was even less.

James saved well from Speed and Utaka missed a chance to seal the points for Pompey, before Kanu was brought down in the closing minutes by Cid.

Taylor coolly wrong-footed the resulting penalty to make sure of a 3-1 win for the unbeaten south coast side.