Our longest scheduled trip of the season (682 miles there and back) ended successfully, with those making the marathon trek rewarded with a first league away success in twelve attempts.

With the TV-demanded lunchtime kickoff requiring a ludicrously early start, many of those travellers headed down to Pompey a day early, to be greeted with sheets of rain and local sports fixtures postponed due to waterlogged pitches.

Happily though, that had cleared up by nightfall and Sunday dawned bright and clear - with the only seasonal indicator worthy of note being the surreal sight of a mass Santa Claus charity seafront run.

Visiting the smallest stadium in the top flight is akin to stepping back in time, to a world of Victorian lavvies and dubious safety certificates. The home side also kept up that revivalist theme with a "jolly 
jack tar" in his sailor's hat parading round the touchline with his "play up Pompey" placard. 

While that and the Mike Oldfield shanty over the tannoy were as harmless as the half time parading of a replica FA Cup, the endless pre-game montage of Pompey goals against us from every angle just grated.

By the end though, it was the visitors who added to their video collection with a couple of good finishes to send us soaring up the table, as the reality of life without 'Arry started to hit home in Hampshire.

The first half wasn't a classic, with the home side opening up the better; Jermaine Defoe missing with what was the be the first of a number of miscued efforts early on and Crouch blazing over.

United had stitched together just one reasonable move - Owen flicking the ball wide from a Martins pullback - before Oba unleashed a swirling shot from distance that cannoned back off the upright.

Appropriately enough in this naval town, the vital improvement from last week was an anchor in midfield, 
the returning duo of Butt and Guthrie provided much-needed solidity. And that in turn allowed Gutierrez and N'Zogbia some freedom - once we'd managed to adjust their passing range to the size of the pitch.

Further evidence that Newcastle were growing into the part came when Enrique seized on a loose ball and bore down on goal before testing James with a powerful left-footed effort

Given was still earning his money though - and deserving of a third sucessive away clean sheet - with the pick of his saves being to deny Krankjcar, the unsighted 'keeper throwing himself to his left and scooping away a goalbound shot that had deflected off Coloccini and Butt and was almost behind him.

If the other two England strikers on show were misfiring though, birthday boy Michael Owen reminded Capello of the predatory instincts that have brought him three goals in two games. 

He may have also noted that Owen effectively played as a forward midfielder in the first half. That was a position Kevin Keegan had correctly identified as one that gave him and us another dimension, subject to there being a runner ahead of him and an effective anchor alongside or behind him.

Once ahead, there was understandable anxiety in some quarters that we'd try and hang on for a 1-0 win, which wasn't helped by the toon fans singing the "win away" version of "Jingle Bells" (bear in mind that we were also wearing the dreaded white sock combo with the home kit).... 

Thankfully though, that negative approach never manifested itself and we took a stranglehold on the game - abetted by a faltering home side, who allowed us to dominate the centre of the pitch.

The second arrive courtesy of Oba, who managed to encapsulate his United career in a five minute spell: 

Firstly, blasting forward to reach a pace but being robbed by a defender as he tried to twist into the box. He then followed that up with a couple of runs where he pulled up and seemed to be going lame, looking across to the away dugout where JFK appeared to be gesturing to him to make his mind up whether he wanted to continue or come off.

And after getting into the area again with the ball at his feet, he opted to shoot from a crazy angle rather than lay the ball off for a colleague, eventually slicing his shot for a Pompey throw-in.....that in turn led to the Nigerian scoring our second. Madness. 

He left the field after his well taken goal and it was his replacement Ameobi who galloped down the right effectively on a couple of occasions, once trying to tee himself up. 

Had that effort gone in, would have brought up his half century of club goals in the week he's been offered a new deal, but his next forward foray was to set up Guthrie for a memorable third. 

The win took us above Spurs - next Sunday's opponents at SJP - not to mention the mackems - despite their four goal howking of the Baggies.

Joy unconfined then and that five match unbeaten run looks a damn sight better with a victory in it. But as ever at this club, joy is tinged with doubt and uncertainty. 

Get through Christmas and who knows what January will bring in terms of departures, with Kinnear by no means certain to remain in post and various others apart from Owen looking to determine their futures (keep an eye on the Taylor situation if he remains out of the starting XI).

JFK had every right to look happy after this game, having struck a blow for the old guard against one of the new breed of young bosses, who are starting to lose some of their gloss, with the demise of Keane and imminent unseating of Ince. Who knows what that does to a certain native of Gosforth's thought processes, as he sits in a warm BBC studio? 

Adams meanwhile was suitably downcast, perhaps mindful of the pressures of this league that are being accentuated by the current economic climate, leading to knee-jerk reactions when clubs face the prospect of losing their place on the Premier TV gravy train.

Like Newcastle, Portsmouth face an uncertain future and are on the market with no takers. As well as putting the kibosh on the much-heralded new ground, that also leaves them with a financial shortfall that at some point will see high-earners sacrificed. They still won the FA Cup though...the lucky buggers. 

For us, survival is silverware and today was a long overdue slice of satisfaction and enjoyment, with the confidence that returned as visibly as the injured players a scarce and prized commodity at this club. 

Now please don't f**k it up again by believing what's written about us, be it sycophantic or malicious.

Biffa