Portsmouth striker Colby Bishop received plenty of praise from Wycombe Wanderers manager Matt Bloomfield after scoring a brace in the meeting between the two clubs on Good Friday.
Portsmouth would run out as 3-1 victors, extending their unbeaten run to 13 games in the league. The win takes them three points closer to the title with just six games left to be played this season. With Bolton Wanderers only managing a draw against Stevenage, Pompey now have an 11 point gap to third and a five point gap to Derby in second.
It looks to be almost a certainty that they‘ll be playing in the Championship next season and it’s hard to say they don’t deserve it given the consistency that’s been on show all season.
Colby Bishop put John Mousinho’s side one goal to the good just three minutes in but Wycombe would equal the scores four minutes later through Matt Butcher and seemed to be putting up a fight against the table-toppers. Bishop would however find the net again later on in the first half, before Christian Saydee fired home midway through the second half to send all three points back to Fratton Park.
It was another all round excellent performance from Portsmouth, but a certain player would stand out. With two goals, Colby Bishop once again proved just how much of an asset he is to the club. Now with 18 goals in the league this season the striker will be hoping that he can eclipse the 20 mark in the final six games.
Wycombe boss Matt Bloomfield noted Portsmouth’s quality in a post-match interview with the Bucks Free Press and heaped plenty of praise on Bishop.
“Portsmouth are top of the league for a reason as they are a very good team.
“They’ve got very good forward players that can hurt you at any moment such as Colby Bishop. You’d do better to try and find a better number nine in the league.
“They’re the benchmark of where we want to get to.”
Positives can be taken from the loss for Wycombe, who did put up a fight in defeat, they were however outclassed by the league leaders in the end. That put an end to their three match winning run which further emphasised Portsmouth’s current quality.
Writer’s View
On his day, Colby Bishop is one of the best strikers in the division and his brace against Wycombe once again showcased his quality. He may have some doubters but there is no denying his importance, now with 18 goals this season, second to only Charlton’s Alfie May.
Promotion to the Championship now looks to only be a matter of time for Portsmouth and with Bolton only managing a draw, they are in an incredibly strong position. Facing second-placed Derby County on Tuesday night, a win against the Rams could all but seal the title for John Mousinho’s men.
The current squad would not look out of place in the Championship and they’ll deservedly go up automatically this season and may well take the title in the process.
Senior Editor
