'Absolutely massive': Proud Portsmouth boss savours one of Blues' best displays of the season in Norwich thumping

With 16 defeats in 22 previous matches on the road this season, the Blues conjured up a remarkable performance to claim a stunning 5-3 success at Norwich.

Colby Bishop bagged his first Pompey hat-trick, with Matt Ritchie and Regan Poole also getting on the scoresheet in front of the shocked home support.

Watched by owner Michael Eisner, the result puts Mousinho’s men six points clear of the relegation zone with three matches remaining - and two of those are at Fratton Park.

And it was a day to remember for those 1,889 visiting fans who have been starved on their travels for much of the season.

Mousinho told The News: ‘It was one of our best performances this season, certainly from an attacking sense, scoring five goals and possibly having more.

‘Of course there were a couple of bits disappointing defensively, when you concede three goals and two set-pieces.

‘If you look at some players Norwich have across the front line it’s frightening, not that we were always going to concede, but there’s always going to be chances away from home - and fortunately we had enough of a buffer.

‘I suppose it sums up how up and down our season has been at times that we’ve come away to Norwich and picked up a 5-3 win.

‘The result was massive, absolutely massive for us, but it was matched by the performance. The away win has been a long time coming. We managed to put everything together and scored the five goals and did enough at the other end.

‘We had seen Luton’s result earlier, it was impossible not to. But the most important thing for us was that, regardless of anything which happened in that game, we had to make sure we won.

‘It has been a really strange few weeks away from home. We’ve been in every single game, we’ve cut out the games pre-Christmas where we were blown away by half-time and wouldn’t be in games, losing 6-1 to Stoke, 4-0 to Derby - and we got close.

‘We kept losing by the odd game here and there. It was 22 seconds at Coventry for a really good point, a similar picture against Preston and Millwall, and the message to the team is we’ve got to have a bit more belief in ourselves when we come away from home.’

Carrow Road represented only a third away victory this season for the Blues, following on from QPR and Oxford United.

Next Pompey entertain Watford on Bank Holiday Monday in the knowledge they could conceivably secure survival on that day.

He added: ‘Sometimes it takes us a minute to realise: Oh actually we are not terrible, we are in these games. We are playing against really good opposition, but, if we are organised and do the right things, we are going to cause some problems and be able to defend well.

‘It’s about taking that next step. It took us a minute at Sheffield United to think actually we are okay here against the league leaders and are going to be fine.

‘That was a big, big part of the progression of this team, we have to keep doing that. We have to keep believing in our own ability. We should have that confidence and belief going forward.’