The long wait is finally over. After 35 years Saints have won at Fratton Park.

After all the hype and build-up, this was a derby day to remember.

It had all the ingredients of a classic cup tie. The rivalry. The rain. The wind. The floodlights intensifying the atmosphere. And, of course, the history of the game.

A gap of seven years since the last meeting between the teams meant the anticipation had reached fever pitch before both sides had even played their previous league fixtures.

Fratton Park was rocking by the time the match got underway.

After a fairly sober early atmosphere the noise went up and up until 15 minutes before the match when there was a wall of chanting which never dipped.

The police helicopter circling overhead, the riot police around the stadium and the massive segregation around the Saints fans were a reminder of how the rivalry between these two clubs has spilled over too often in the past.

There was even an amusing moment before kick-off as one of the Pompey mascots, who must have been aged all of about five, appeared to refuse to shake hands with the Saints players.

Once the game got going Saints initially stumbled in the white heat of a ferocious atmosphere and in the face of a League One team determined to come out flying.

Despite Ralph Hasenhuttl dispensing with the defensive experiments and fielding a side heavy on experience and playing in a simple formation, the players just looked caught unawares by the ferocity they faced.

They were fortunate not to go at least a goal behind as Pompey piled on the pressure.

But, having ridden their luck, their quality shone through.

Two top finishes from Danny Ings in the first half put Saints in a hugely commanding position at the break.

The second half was a tamer affair. It felt as if Saints knew they had done enough and could go into containing and counter attacking mode while Pompey’s belief had been crushed by the fact that their failure to capitalise on one of their good chances had been so heavily punished.

When Cedric Soares added a third in front of the 1,981 Saints fans the game was over. Nathan Redmond’s brilliant fourth was rubbing it in.

It had been 35 years since Saints had last won at Fratton Park. The winning goal helped make Steve Moran a legend.

Danny Ings now joins that illustrious list of Saints heroes to have delivered a derby day victory, while Cedric and Redmond’s strikes also go down in the record books.

Hasenhuttl delivered the most important win of his Saints tenure and it was the travelling fans who finally tasted the victory they had craved for so long.