Portsmouth moved four points clear of the Championship relegation zone with a stunning victory over second-placed Ipswich Town, which also opened up the promotion race.

After a competitive start to the game Pompey scored two goals in quick succession just before the break, with Conor Shaughnessy first heading home from a corner for the opener.

Minutes later Colby Bishop slotted the ball into the net from close range, following up a saved John Swift shot, to send the home fans into chants of "we are staying up".

The win moves John Mousinho's side up two positions to 19th and above both West Brom and Blackburn Rovers.

Ipswich remain in the automatic promotion places, 10 points behind leaders Coventry City, but now two points ahead of Millwall and three in front of both Southampton, who beat Blackburn 3-0, and Middlesbrough.

The Tractor Boys still have a game in hand but play both Boro and Saints before the end of the season.

Ipswich started the game well and had a great chance to open the scoring when Kasey McAteer was slipped in down the right and found George Hirst in the box, but his shot ended up being blocked behind for a corner.

The Blues had a brilliant effort well saved just before the half-hour mark when Millenic Ali let fly from 25 yards with a thunderous right-footed effort that had to be tipped over the bar by Town keeper Christian Walton.

The home side were rewarded for a strong end to the first half as Shaughnessy headed the ball home from an Adrian Segecic corner to give his side the lead.

Just two minutes later that advantage was doubled as Portsmouth surged forward in attack. Swift had an attempt saved from close range, but it only fell as far as Bishop who was on hand to slot the ball home.

The goal was just his fourth of the season and first since netting a penalty against Charlton in the middle of February.

Segecic should have added a third for Portsmouth just before the hour mark as Alli dinked a ball towards him in the box but his diving header was pushed wide of the far post.

Ipswich substitute Anis Mehmeti went close with less than 20 minutes to go when he drove towards the box and into space but dragged an effort wide of the left-hand post.

The visitors pushed for a goal in the final moments of the game, with chances for Hirst and Jaden Philogene, but the match and result belonged to the home side, whose supporters were on their feet and singing to the tune of 'The Great Escape' as they moved closer to safety.

This game was postponed twice previously when the Blues had a frozen pitch in January and after heavy rainfall in February.

Portsmouth boss John Mousinho speaking to BBC Radio Solent:

"In the moment it feels like the best performance since I've been here.

"There's been some good ones and that is definitely the best performance of the season, with everything taken into account over the last few weeks I think that is justified.

"The mentality off the back of the win on Saturday (at Middlesbrough) was something we haven't had all season. After winning games we wouldn't follow it up - we've only done it once from Charlton to Millwall.

"There's been a lot of false dawns where we've won a game and then looked to turn a corner but it's not quite been there. The other pleasing thing was the work rate which was just superb against such a top side tonight.

"It's still incredibly tight and tough down the bottom and the margins in the game are incredibly tight, we have to do everything we can to pick up as many points as we can."

Ipswich head coach Kieran McKenna speaking to the media at Fratton Park:

"We spoke after the Norwich game that that wasn't the pinnacle, especially when we're playing teams with massive motivations of their own.

"Every game is going to be harder and it's gong to take a monumental effort to get the three points - we didn't quite hit the levels tonight but we have games ahead to look forward to, to do it.

"Any game you lose you're disappointed and at this stage of the season you're disappointed, so it's too easy to link it to Saturday because whatever happened on Saturday this was going to be a tough game."