Portsmouth 3 Stoke 1: Neil Allen's verdict - Sweet revenge for birthday boy as remarkable Fratton Park run continues
John Mousinho had his revenge - and how fitting in the week of his two-year Pompey anniversary.
The October defeat remains a stubborn stain on his superb Blues CV, the 6-1 humbling representing a record loss during 104 matches as head coach.
Still, on a cold Wednesday night, the Blues savoured home advantage once again - this time against the Potters - thereby leapfrogging above them into 18th spot in the process.
Pompey have won six of their last seven Fratton Park fixtures, the only blot being a goalless draw against Norwich, in a superb run which is underpinning their survival fight.
The foundations for the latest south-coast triumph were laid by two goals in the opening nine minutes against Mark Robins’ men, with Colby Bishop and Callum Lang both netting.
Curiously, such an early advantage spread a few nerves among the Fratton faithful rather than singing with swaggering confidence.
Sure enough, when Ben Wilmot reduced the deficit in the 27th minute, it marked Stoke beginning to grow into the game and worryingly dictate possession.
However, once Connor Ogilvie stabbed home to make it 3-1 just four minutes into the second half, Mousinho’s men saw the remainder of the match out comfortably.
Certainly it was a coming of age match for Jordan Williams, who received a standing ovation when substituted late on following an outstanding display at right-back.
Yet there were many fine performances from this improving team who are unrecognisable to the one which was bottom of the Championship they last time met.
Encouragingly, Pompey are clearly adjusting to this level, while the head coach has now discovered his best team, albeit minus several excellent players missing through injury.
And another win has hauled them three points clear of the relegation zone with a game in hand. Even better, it was against Stoke.
Mousinho had kept the same team which beat Middlesbrough 2-1 in their previous outing, with the bench also remaining unaltered as they retained that 20-man squad.
It meant no involvement for Australian Thomas Waddingham, who signed earlier in the day from Brisbane Roar and was in the South Stand watching the match.
As a consequence of being unchanged, Rob Atkinson and Marlon Pack continued as the centre-half pairing, with Jordan Williams at right-back and Isaac Hayden retaining his central midfield spot.
Conor Shaughnessy is not yet ready for his comeback, despite more than a week in training, while Paddy Lane has been ruled out for the season, along with Jacob Farrell.
In an encouraging start, with two minutes on the clock Matt Ritchie’s corner from the right struck a player and ricocheted towards goal, only for Viktor Johansson to grasp it on the line.
Yet the Blues did claim the lead on five minutes after Ogilvie swung in a cross from the left and Callum Lang was pushed in the back by Josh Wilson-Esbrand.
Referee Josh Smith pointed to the spot and Bishop stepped up to crash it home high into the top corner for his fourth goal of the season to make it 1-0.
Incredibly, it was 2-0 after nine minutes when Nicolas Schmid’s booming long kick down the middle wasn’t dealt with by defender Ben Wilmot.
The chasing Lang capitalised on the indecision by rising to head the ball over the approaching Johansson and into an empty net.
Pompey were in the ascendancy, threatening in every attack, and, when Atkinson tackled Junior Tchamadeu and fed Josh Murphy down the line, the winger fired in an angled shot, but straight at the keeper.
There was a scare on 22 minutes, though, when Lewis Baker was presented with the ball just outside the box and his right-footed shot flashed just wide.
Stoke did reduce the deficit on 27 minutes, though, emanating from a short corner which resulted in Wilson-Esbrand delivering a cross from the left.
There was Wilmot with a towering header at the far post, completely unmarked, planting it across Schmid and into the far corner of the net to make it 2-1.
The Blues needed to keep their nerve and, moments later, Atkinson was booked after blocking Niall Ennis as he dangerously surged into the Blues half.
There were no changes for either side at the break - and within four minutes of the restart Pompey’s two-goal lead had been restored.
Freddie Potts’ corner from the left found its way to the unmarked Ogilvie at the far post, who took a touch before stabbing a shot into the roof of the net with his left foot for 3-1.
How the hosts needed that cushion in the early stages of the second period, especially considering how Stoke had steadily grown into the game before the break.
Mousinho’s men were reinvigorated and, on 64 minutes, Ritchie fired in a left-footed shot from inside the box which forced Johansson into a save, gathering it at the second attempt.
Then Ritchie fed Bishop and he dragged a right-footed shot agonisingly past the far post with the keeper beaten.
Yet the Blues were comfortable, surprisingly so, and eased to their victory without any alarms as the Fratton fortress continues to be unbreachable.