The Blues record back-to-back league victories for only the second time this season following an impressive 2-0 win over promotion hopefuls Ipswich Town at Fratton Park.
First half goals from Conor Shaughnessy and then a first Championship goal from open play since August for Colby Bishop were enough to earn the 3 points.
The win means that John Mousinho’s side move up to in the table, now 7 points ahead of Leicester City in 23rd and 4 points above Oxford United in 22nd.
There were four changes to XI that snatched a last-gasp victory at the Riverside last Saturday.
In came Shaughnessy for Madiodio Dia, John Swift for the ineligible Conor Chaplin, Millenic Alli for Keshi Anderson, and Adrian Segecic for the absent Gustavo Cabellero.
And Florian Bianchini made his first match-day squad appearance since November, after recently over coming knee injury, which was caused by tendinitis.
Portsmouth started fast and pressed Ipswich high up the pitch from minute 1.
Swift quickly played in Jordan Williams on the left flank, who pumped a ball into the area, where Bishop was arriving, but the versatile full-back's in-swinging cross went just wide of Christian Walton’s net.
Alli then later fired a long-range effort at the throat of Walton’s goal, but the Ipswich keeper punched the ball over the bar and out for a Pompey corner.
The Blues’ exerted pressure was then rewarded on 41 minutes when Segečić’s left-footed corner met the head of Shaughnessy, whose low header at goal went under the legs of Walton to make it 1-0.
Mousinho’s side then doubled their lead just over two minutes later, as Andre Dozzell’s left-footed cross found Swift, who aimed 2 deflected shots at goal, before the ball fell to
Bishop, who tapped the ball home to make it 2-0.
HALF-TIME: Portsmouth 2-0 Ipswich Town
Pompey continued to be ruthless in the second-half, as Bishop had a penalty call when his shot seemed to hit the hand of Cédric Kipré, but referee Farai Hallam waved away the appeal.
Alli then lifted a ball deep to the ball post, where Segečić connected, but the Croatian Under-21 international's swerving header went just past the post.
Just before the hour mark, Kieran McKenna made a triple change, with Anis Mehemti, Ben Johnson, and Jaden Phliogene all replacing Azor Matusiwa, Darnell Furlong, and Kasey McAteer.
Keshi Anderson then later came on in the number ten role for John Swift with just under 20 minutes of normal time left to play.
Mehemti and Phliogene did come on to pose a threat, but Pompey solidified themselves at the back, with clever blocks from Regan Poole and Shaughnessy, as well as key saves by Nicolas Schmid.
FULL-TIME: Portsmouth 2-0 Ipswich Town
Next up: Its crunch time in PO4 on Saturday, as John Mousinho’s side welcome 23rd place Leicester City to Fratton Park, in a 12:30pm kick-off.
Portsmouth: 1. Schmid (GK), 24. Devlin, 5. Poole, 6. Shaughnessy, 2. Williams, 7. Pack (C), 21. Dozzell, 10. Segečić (40. Brown), 8. Swift, (37. Anderson), 27. Alli (17. Bowat), 9. Bishop (Formation: 4-2-3-1)
Unused subs: 26. Bursik (GK), 11. Bianchini, 16. Le Roux, 20. Waddingham, 29. Blair, 55. Dia
Goals: Shaughnessy 41’, Bishop 43’
Bookings: Pack 35’, Devlin 82’
Head coach: John Mousinho
Ipswich Town: 28. Walton (GK), 19. Furlong (18. Johnson), 26. O’Shea (C), 4. Kipré, 24. Greaves, 5. Matusiwa (33. Mehmeti), 6. Neil (29. Akpom), 20. McAteer (11. Philogene), 47. Clarke (8. Egeli), 32. Núñez, 9. Hirst (Formation: 4-2-3-1)
Unused subs: 1. Palmer (GK), 12. Cajuste, 14. Taylor, 31. Azón
Bookings: Núñez 81’, Philogene 90+1’
Head coach: Kieran McKenna
Referee: Farai Hallam
Venue: Fratton Park
Attendance: 20,251 (including 2,190 away fans)
This evening's edition of the Pompey Live: Extra-Time podcast is now available for you to listen back to! Jake Smith, Kirsty Roxanne and James Wilson were on hand at Fratton Park to provide analysis on the match.
Be sure to join Jake for the next episode of The Football Hour on Express FM this Friday (April 17th) evening from 6pm for further reaction, the post-match comments of John Mousinho and a preview of Saturday's clash with Leicester City on the South Coast.
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