It was delayed by 30 minutes - but Pompey's biggest Premiership win was well worth the wait.

Where Leeds go from here does not bear thinking about, but Pompey continue to surprise.

A 6-1 victory against the Elland Road giants was the stuff of dreams just three years ago, when Leeds were Champions League semi-finalists and Portsmouth were Division 1 also-rans.

It was by no means guaranteed that the game would be played when the floodlights packed up before kick-off. And it was also hard to imagine a rout of this magnitude for much of a first half in which Leeds gave as good as they got.

But when Gary O'Neil thumped home a 25-yard volley with the last kick of the first half 15 minutes after missing a sitter, you sensed it was going to be the home side's day.

The afternoon had begun with a postponement a distinct possibility. But when play eventually got under way the Pompey fans in the 20,112 crowd were treated to one of the most memorable afternoons in the club's recent history - capped by that first O'Neil goal, which came via a deflection off Dominic Matteo.

Dejan Stefanovic's first Pompey goal, a free header from a Patrik Berger corner, had been cancelled out by a clinical Alan Smith finish before O'Neil's screamer.

Then it was all Pompey - after Shaka Hislop had denied Jermaine Pennant from close range at the beginning of the second half.

"It was tough at 1-1 but getting the goal just before the break and Shaka's save at the beginning of the second half were two big turning points," admitted O'Neil, who had been worried about facing the wrath of his boss for missing a far easier chance than his goal of the month contender. "I dug myself out of trouble, I was dreading going in at half-time and seeing the gaffer and Jim but I'm not taking all the credit for my first goal, there was a little deflection. We thought it would be a tough game and it was before we went 3-1 up, then they seemed to fold."

Hayden Foxe swept home Pompey's third from 20 yards after another flowing move just past the hour. Paul Robinson was culpable but the force was with Pompey, whose four second-half goals came in the space of 24 exhilarating minutes.

O'Neil grabbed his second after being put through by the irrepressible Berger, who grabbed a goal of his own five minutes later, rounding Robinson having being put through by Teddy Sheringham.

Pompey's football was a joy and was rewarded with a much-needed fourth goal of the season for Yakubu.

The Nigerian ended a run of more than two months without a Premiership goal by scoring at the second attempt from six yards out.

In the context of the match it was a hardly that important but could be significant in the context of Pompey's season if it gives The Yak the confidence to go on and score the goals he is capable of.

It came courtesy of a Sebastian Schemmel cross and a volleyed Matthew Taylor pass to the near post, where Yakubu scored at the second attempt and added some gloss to one of Pompey's best performances in recent memory.

But despite his side's excellence, Redknapp preferred to sympathise with Reid at the final whistle.

"I love Reidy but he told me before the game that the problem he's got there is with the players, what can he do?" said the Pompey boss.

"Reidy has to work on a shoestring and I'm feeling for him. Leeds are a massive club, they've seen their best players go, it's all fallen apart for them and now they've got to be careful that they don't do a Sheffield Wednesday

The former West Ham boss added: "It's very sad. A few years ago I thought Leeds would be the team of the next decade, I really did.

"I lost Rio Ferdinand, my best kid, just because Leeds wanted to take him away from me and I must admit I envied David O'Leary at that time, they were a club that seemed to be going all the way."