In truth, at half-time, Stoke City's trip to Portsmouth felt like a game too far as the Championship form teams went toe-to-toe at the end of a three-game week.

After a tough run of fixtures, Portsmouth edged a first half low on quality, like the slightly sharper of a couple of punch-drunk and unlikely contenders.

Stoke midfielder Ethan Galbraith revealed harsh words were said in the away dressing room at the break.

Substitutions soon followed and to labour the metaphor, Stoke collectively bit down on the gumshield, found the energy they needed in the championship rounds and forced a gutsy win that took them, however briefly, to the top of the league.

Previous iterations of Stoke City would have fallen apart as the match went on but this team has an obvious tenacity and greater resolve.

It's fitting that Jack McGlynn and Ben Wilmot, two of the stars of the opening third of the season, scored the goals that sent Stoke into the international break with a win.

Potters manager Mark Robins was quick to praise his side and urge everyone involved not to get too carried away, but it's becoming harder not to.

Stoke have won five league games away from home in a row for the first time since 1947 and they've taken 29 points from their last 12 games.

This team's biggest strength might just be their ability to find a way to get a result in hostile environments, even when they're not playing well.

They've put themselves right in the mix at the top of the table with a great chance to tackle the depths of winter and the busiest part of the season with genuine confidence.