Stoke manager Tony Pulis hailed Portsmouth's multi-million pound strikeforce after they condemned his side to a 2-1 defeat at Fratton Park.

Peter Crouch and Jermain Defoe grabbed the goals and Pulis, who was in charge at Pompey for 10 months in 2000, was full of praise for the duo.

"That's why Harry has paid the money for Crouch and Defoe. The first goal was a fantastic finish and the second almost as good," he said.

"But you expect us to push on after equalising just after half-time and instead we shot ourselves in the foot.

"We made two bad mistakes in our own half and Defoe punished us, hitting the post with his first chance then scoring from an almost identical position. That's what happens at this level."