View: Colby Bishop the ‘benchmark’ after what he did in Portsmouth v Wycombe
By Dan Godfrey
Colby Bishop’s importance to Portsmouth is well known to the Pompey faithful, of course, but he earned high praise from Wycombe Wanderers boss Matt Bloomfield.
Bloomfield had a first-hand view at Adams Park as Bishop scored twice in Portsmouth’s 3-1 win over Wycombe on Good Friday (29 March) in a barnstorming performance.
Bishop struck twice in the opening half-hour at Adams Park to steer Pompey into a 2-1 half-time
lead, bouncing back from Matt Butcher’s early equaliser.
Colby Bishop steers Portsmouth closer to the Championship
A potentially tricky trip to Buckinghamshire beckoned on Good Friday for John Mousinho’s side,
but the delightful displays that have cemented Pompey to the league summit were evident once
more as Bishop opened the scoring inside the first three minutes.
With 18 League One goals to his name this term, Pompey’s number nine continues to play an
instrumental role in a potentially memorable season – only Alfie May of Charlton Athletic has
netted more (21).
Finding the net with two of his three shots yesterday, Bishop’s clinical nature earned him a
match rating of 8.54 with WhoScored.com.
The striker also completed 67% of his passes from the most advanced position of the Pompey
XI [Sofascore], showcasing the importance highlighted after the game by Bloomfield.
“[Portsmouth] have very good forward players who can hurt you at any moment, such as Colby
Bishop,” the Wycombe boss told Bucks Free Press (29 March).
“You’d do better to find a better number nine in the league – they’re the benchmark of where we
want to get to.”
Colby Bishop Championship bound
Bishop’s form with Accrington Stanley that initially saw him earn his move to Fratton Park in 2022 has carried on in swathes, thriving as a central striker in a largely dominant team.
Firing 24 times in all competitions last campaign, his prowess in front of goal shows no sign of
stopping at the most crucial period in years from a Portsmouth perspective.
Promotion would of course not just seal a long-awaited return to the Championship for Pompey
as well as further financial security, but could mean years more in that number nine role for
Bishop on the South Coast.
At 27, he is undoubtedly in his prime years with his contract due to expire in 2025, but the club do have an option of an additional year.
Significant Championship interest will no doubt be surfacing once more in the summer for the
Blues’ talisman, but – right now – there is only one place he is certain to be enjoying his best
football.
In other Portsmouth news, Bishop sings the praises of teammate Abu Kamara after his two
assists at Wycombe on Friday.
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