Colby Bishop to personally thank ‘brilliant’ Portsmouth teammate after win v Leeds
Portsmouth stunned league leaders Leeds United as they secured a huge 1-0 win at Fratton Park on Sunday afternoon.
John Mousinho’s side defeated the Whites, thanks to the solitary goal from Colby Bishop.
Even though it was Bishop’s goal that was the difference, it was the late heroics from Pompey keeper Nicolas Schmid whose presence won the game for the hosts.
The Austrian keeper was rock solid throughout, producing four saves and keeping an impressive clean sheet against the highest goalscorers in the Championship this season.
Colby Bishop in awe of his Portsmouth teammate
The game was evenly poised at half-time, as Leeds knocked on Portsmouth’s door but failed to create the required opening.
However, the Whites were susceptible to Portsmouth’s attack.
In the 61st minute, left-back Connor Ogilvie played a long ball forward which was chased by Bishop. The 28-year-old got there first and clipped the ball past Illan Meslier, giving hosts the lead.
The visitors came extremely close to scoring on more than one occasion with Joel Piroe and Junior Firpo missed massive chances in the second period.
| Opposition | Home/Away |
| Plymouth | Home |
| Preston | Away |
| Blackburn | Home |
| Millwall | Away |
The 28-year-old keeper was applauded for his performance, most notably by his teammate Bishop who insisted that he would thank Schmid.
He told ITV Sport (9 March, 2:03 pm): “He put in a fantastic performance. Yeah, and he saved us in quite a few games this year.
“Obviously, we’re going to play against teams where we’re probably the underdogs and they’re going to have more and more chances, and yet some of the saves are absolutely brilliant, weren’t they?
“I’ll be thanking him when we’re going in there.”
Pompey well ahead of the drop zone
With the win over Leeds United, Portsmouth have created a 10-point gap between them and the relegation spots.
At one point of the season, it looked like the south coast side would have a relegation battle on their hands but Mousinho has managed to steady the ship and get the desired results.
After game week 18, Pompey were languishing in 24th place and survival looked bleak. However, four wins in the last five games have enabled Portsmouth to jump out of the clutches of relegation.
If Portsmouth maintain their momentum, they are headed for a respectable mid-table finish in the Championship this season.