Mark Burchill helped fire Pompey seven points clear at the top of Division 1 and then declared: "I intend to make up for lost time."

Burchill, a £900,000 Graham Rix buy from Celtic, had been at Pompey for just one month when he suffered a career-threatening injury during a training session in September, 2001.

He had netted four goals in six games before he sustained cruciate ligament damage in a tackle with Robert Prosinecki.

But, against Stoke on Saturday, the 22-year-old made it four goals in his fourth start since his recovery. His near-post volley from Kevin Harper's cross four minutes after the interval was the first of Pompey's goals and came one week after his headed winner against Derby at Pride Park.

Burchill said: "I'm so glad to be back playing. It had been almost a year since the injury when I got my first goal of the season and I've got a lot to make up for.

"I never really got a chance to show what I could do last year but hopefully I'll get a few more starts now."

A seventh Scotland cap is also a distinct possibilty. Berti Vogts is already aware that Burchill, once dubbed Scotland's answer to Michael Owen, is regaining his sharpness in front of goal. But for now Burchill is concentrating on firing Pompey into the Premiership - with the help of fellow strikers Vincent Pericard and Svetoslav Todorov.

Pericard replaced Burchill in the second half on Saturday before doubling Pompey's lead with a header from a Todorov cross on 87 minutes.

Fittingly, it was man-of-the-match Todorov who completed the scoring, lobbing home a Paul Merson through ball in injury time.

Burchill added: "I'm more happy with the victory than I am with the goal. We know that we've got a good squad and that we deserve to be top of the league but Carl Robinson keeps reminding us about Wolves and what happened to them last year.

"Everyone keeps pressing on our heels but I'm loving it here.You ask any footballer and they'll say that they want to play in a team that plays pass and move. There were some low points during my recovery but it's been good to be out playing again with footballers like Merson."

Burchill's second goal in as many games will have been noted by Vogts but Todorov's eighth of the season was seen first hand by the manager of Bulgaria.

Todorov, 24, is expected to play against Spain this week - but he could have been preaparing for his 28th cap with his first Pompey hat-trick behind him.

Two first-half crossshots and a 43rd-minute header from a Merson free kick all flashed inches wide of Neil Cutler's far post. And, midway through the second half, he fired a first-time 20-yard strike from a Burchill cross against the top of the Stoke bar. But he scored as well and departed for Spain with Harry Redknapp's best wishes.

"Some people thought 'what a waste of money' when I bought Toddy for £400,000 but he's showing that he's worth every penny," said Redknapp. "I'm glad he's playing for Bulgaria - as long as he doesn't come back injured!"

Third-from-bottom Stoke twice nearly took a shock lead through Tommy Mooney, who had a fifth-minute volley and a 20th-minute header expertly saved by Shaka Hislop.

But they suffered a seventh successive defeat as Pompey went further clear of second-placed Leicester thanks to Muzzy Izzett's missed penalty in the latter stages of the Foxes' clash at Millwall.

It was a miserable return to Fratton Park for Tony Pulis, who was sacked after just nine months in charge two years ago. Pulis does not have a point to show from his first three games in charge of the Potteries outfit but he said: "Fratton Park's a great place to be when you're winning. There was a fantastic atmosphere, it's a proper football club. They've got quality on the pitch, I think they'll be promoted with Leicester this season."