Ipswich added to Tottenham's acute case of travel sickness at Portman Road and returned to third place in the process.

Goals from Marcus Stewart, Alun Armstrong and Jamie Clapham eased the home side to victory.

Stewart's 12th Premiership strike of the season, probably his least crisp of a flourishing campaign, set the agenda as early as the eighth minute and Spurs' disarray was compounded in the second half as they were carved open twice more.

Armstrong sidefooted the second just after the hour and substitute Clapham, formerly of Spurs, turned in a controversial third - with David Johnson clearly offside - three minutes from the end.

The win moves Town back into the top three of the Premiership for at least three hours while Spurs suffered their ninth reverse in 11 away games that have yielded just two points.

In truth, the scoreline flattered a sorry Spurs outfit that were outrun, outthought and outfought by the top-flight's surprise package.

George Graham chose to leave out record signing Sergei Rebrov for the noon showdown but the visitors looked toothless without him and the game was over by the time he entered the fray 10 minutes from time.

George Graham left the £11million summer capture from Dynamo Kiev on the bench at Portman Road and also omitted fellow striker Chris Armstrong from the starting 11 following the 2-0 defeat at Southampton on Wednesday.

Rebrov, who terrorised the best defences in Europe alongside Andrei Shevchenko has found the Premiership harder to crack with just six goals but he remains joint-top scorer at White Hart Lane.

Irish youngster Gary Doherty and Dutchman Willem Korsten were employed as a makeshift frontline but failed to worry the home defence as Tottenham sought their first victory on the road since April.

Spurs other change from the reverse at The Dell saw Tim Sherwood replace groin strain victim Stephen Carr.

Ipswich's characteristic fluent passing style reaped immediate dividends as Stewart opened the scoring after just eight minutes.

The former Huddersfield striker struck his 12th Premiership goal of the season and probably his easiest to finish off a flowing move.

Hermann Hreidarsson released Matt Holland down the left and the captain's centre from the by-line was missed by Alun Armstrong but found Stewart, who bobbled the ball over the line from six yards with a mishit shot.

The Blues had already cut the visiting defence open in the opening exchanges with a Hreidarsson cross just too strong for Armstrong and Stewart looping a header into Neil Sullivan's arms after being found by Fabian Wilnis.

The home side were finding joy down the flanks and Stewart was inches away from collecting a Jermaine Wright centre before Sullivan saved bravely at the feet of the onrushing Armstrong as strike partner Stewart rifled the ball in from the left.

And Town did have the ball in the net again in the 22nd minute through Titus Bramble only for referee Matt Mattias to adjudge that the teenage centre-back had fouled the Spurs keeper in an aerial challenge.

Spurs barely made it out of their own half as Ipswich pressed for a second and Martijn Reuser forced Sullivan to tip over a rising 20-yard drive.

A combination of skill and perseverance lead to Reuser fashioning another chance for himself in the 33rd minute, the Dutchman cut inside from the left and bundled his way through a posse of Spurs defenders on the edge of the area, Sullivan turning away his shot at the foot of the near post.

Spurs first threat of note arrived on the stroke of half-time through Darren Anderton's inswinging corner from the left that flew through a penalty-area melee without gaining a touch.

Such had been the hosts' dominance in the first period that Graham chose to employ Darren Anderton at wing-back on the resumption to stem the threat of Hreidarsson down the left.

Youngster Alton Thelwell was shifted into a back three but the change in formation failed to alter the shape of the match as Ipswich's supremacy was maintained.

Chris Perry was on hand to deflect an Armstrong cross-shot for a corner and from Mark Venus' resultant dead ball Sullivan had to punch out at his near post.

Stewart then flashed a header wide from a Reuser free-kick as Sullivan's area came under siege.

Spurs had shown little invention and their first effort on goal was greeted with ironic cheers from the visiting contingent in the crowd as Doherty's shot on the turn in the 57th minute was held by Wright.

Sullivan was forced into more serious work within a minute, however, as Bramble latched onto a Hreidarsson flick to propel an overhead kick towards the top corner only for the Scotland international to push it over the bar.

But the keeper had no chance from Ipswich's next foray forward as Armstrong doubled the lead with almost a carbon copy of Stewart's opener.

This time it was Stewart who was sent clear on the left side of the area from a Reuser pass and his low centre left the unmarked Armstrong with a simple sidefoot finish from six yards.

The move of the match almost brought a third goal for Burley's side 14 minutes from time.

Bramble charged out from the backline, evading two tame tackles, Holland fed Reuser on the right and a searching crossfield pass found Scowcroft free at the back post only for his first-time volley to smack the bar.

Sullivan then held a Reuser drive before Korsten burst forward to test Wright with a low shot at the other end.

Substitute Clapham finished the scoring fortuitously three minutes from time, rolling in a Reuser cross - the goal allowed to stand despite fellow substitute David Johnson standing on the line.

Ipswich: Richard Wright, Wilnis (McGreal 82), Venus, Hreidarsson, Holland, Jermaine Wright, Scowcroft, Armstrong (Johnson 81), Bramble, Stewart (Clapham 85), Reuser.

Subs Not Used: Branagan, Croft.

Goals: Stewart 9, Armstrong 62, Clapham 88.

Tottenham: Sullivan, Campbell, Perry, Thelwell, Sherwood (Davies 80), Anderton, Korsten (Rebrov 80), Leonhardsen, Clemence, King, Doherty.

Subs Not Used: Walker, Gardner, Armstrong.

Att: 22,234

Ref: M Messias (York).