What a day. And what a display. I'm struggling to think of the last time a Pompey performance made me as proud as the one at Ipswich that so nearly brought about the biggest FA Cup shock of the day.

Pompey went to face a team chasing promotion from the Championship and didn't just match them - they made them look ordinary. And had they held on for the 2-1 lead Conor Chaplin gave them with just a few minutes remaining, the result, and a place in the fourth round, would have been fully deserved.

Remember this is not the first time Paul Cook's men have taken a game to second-division opposition this season. In the Capitol One Cup back in August, Cook made numerous changes to his first-choice XI and still saw his men beat Derby 1-0. Then, a fortnight later, the same team pushed Reading all the way and led 1-0 before finally losing 2-1.

So this effort against the Tractor Boys should not have come as a surprise. Yes, Ipswich rested a few of the regulars who have helped them into sixth spot at the halfway point of the Championship campaign. But Pompey, in case some hadn't noticed, were not at full strength either.

Not involved on a wet, grey Suffolk afternoon, in front of one of the quietest home crowds I have seen in more than 30 years of watching Pompey, were Christian Burgess, Matt Clarke, Michael Doyle, Gareth Evans, Caolan Lavery and Matt Tubbs. That's half a decent team - yet the 14 we did see in black shirts (the same colour Pompey were wearing at the same location when David Nuget's goal kicked off the 2008 run, incidentally) rose to the occasion, both as individuals and the team.

Most would argue that Ipswich's equaliser - admittedly a critical point - was the only moment of the game when Pompey's standards dropped. Ryan Fraser's 88th-minute free-kick from wide on the left should never have gone directly in and fingers will be pointed at Brian Murphy for another goal that he should have dealt with.

But to dwell too long on that would be unfair on Murphy - who also produced a couple of first-rate saves - and on the whole team, who never stopped running, never stopped passing and never stopped pressing their opponents as if they, and not Mick McCarthy's side, were the higher-league team and the ones with the onus on them to win the tie.

When you're away to a side who are two divisions above you, you expect to be under pressure, if not for the whole game then at least for long spells. But the fact is Pompey didn't let Ipswich put them under pressure. Town struggled to trouble Murphy all afternoon.

Cook's men controlled possession themselves for long periods, engineering neat passages of football that more often than not ended in a chance or half-chance.

From back from front, they were on their game. And while we're talking about the back, what about Adam Barton? A revelation at centre-half - even better than he was when drafted into the back-line in the 0-0 draw with Luton - Barton was my man of the match for a supremely-assured display. He looked like he'd played there, and against Championship opposition, all his career. Adam Webster alongside him also had an another excellent game, and looks like he has put his Leyton Orient red-card setback behind him quickly.

Full-backs Enda Stevens and Ben Davies once again brought energy as well as defensive sturdiness to the flanks and Stevens looked just as comfortable when moved into midfield late on to cover for the injured Danny Hollands.

Ben Close was brought into midfield to cover for the rested Doyle and, in news that will come as no surprise to those who saw any of his early Pompey appearances last year, slotted in seamlessly. He's such a tidy player - not trying anything outlandish when in possession but sticking to the simple pass that can get Pompey moving forward, while also doing his share of tackling-back.

Hollands was also effective and what a difference Gary Roberts makes to this team. Pompey have done well to keep results ticking over in the three months he has been out - but with Roberts back in the side, the attacking threat is immeditely boosted.

And then there's Kyle Bennett, whose ability has never been in doubt but is now getting better with every game. His goal - which was pretty much a pass into the only section of the goal where the Ipswich keeper could not reach it - was reward for the past few weeks when he has set up countless chances and goals for others. It was also the perfect response to the Ipswich opener by Tommy Oar, which temporarily woke up the home crowd before Bennett's strike meant they could quickly hit the snooze button again.

If Bennett and Roberts both stay fit and in-form for the rest of the season, Pompey will surely have at their disposal two of the best attacking players in League Two.

Up front, Adam McGurk and Marc McNulty were a handful but without perhaps having their most effective games for the Blues. On another day, McNulty might have scored a couple - but unusually for him, his finishing deserted him when played into great positions.

Pompey's man for late goals - and man for goals against Championship sides - is Conor Chaplin and the optimistic feeling the Blues' noisy 2,500 fans got when he came on with a little over 10 minutes to go was not misplaced.

Chaplin, who scored in both those aforementioned Derby and Reading games at Fratton, made his goal himself by moving quickly to find Bennett with a throw-in down the left and then get himself into space to collect a return pass and strike a phenomenal shot, with very little backlift, into the same corner of the goal that Bennett had found earlier. He makes it look easy.

There were four minutes of the 90 left at that stage and we all thought we'd done enough to beat Ipswich by the same margin, at the same ground and at the same stage of the FA Cup as in 2006 and 2008. But Fraser's free-kick swirled into the six-yard box, Murphy was put off either by the flight of the ball or by the close proximity of numerous Ipswich players, and it was 2-2.

So there was a hint of disappointment - but a big helping of pride - as the fans applauded the men in black off the pitch at the end, with the home supporters long gone by the time the singing and clapping died down. But if you can get over the nature of the late lead being surrendered, you cannot help but be impressed at the way Cook, his coaching team and his players tackled this test.

It sets up a Fratton Park replay, and if anyone thinks Pompey have done the hardest bit, they're probably wrong. Ipswich will very likely bring back a few more regulars for the return game and the Blues will have to play as well again even to stand a chance. And in all honesty, it's probably a game we could do without as we try to keep out focus on priorty No1 - promotion.

That's not to say any Pompey fan doesn't want to win the replay. We'll know by then who awaits the winners in the next round and after years of abject failure in the Cup (remember this season is the first since 2009-10 and our second final in three years that we've actually won a game in the competition) you can't expect us not to enjoy a slice of success in the lovely old competition.

But whatever happens when Ipswich head south, Pompey and their fans will be able to look back with considerable pride on their latest trip to Portman Road, and on a memorable day when they showed - in equal measure - their ability, their work-rate and the strength in depth of their squad.

Pompey: Murphy; Davies, Barton, Webster, Stevens; Close (May 74), Hollands (Haunstrup 81); Roberts (c) (Chaplin 78), McNulty, Bennett; McGurk. Subs not used: Bass, Boco, Tollitt, Evans. Referee: David Coote Attendance: 17,020 (2,494 Pompey fans)

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