Colby Bishop may not be as prolific but is still vital to Portsmouth survival

Colby Bishop is enduring a frustrating spell at present, as he deals with the pressure of leading the line in a survival battle with Portsmouth for the first time.

Naturally, the onus is on the number nine to score goals, with Bishop not really facing any proper threat for his position. He has netted four this season - two from the penalty spot - and has been accused of missing chances he should score.

A case in point was his stoppage-time miss against Burnley on Saturday (1 February), which would have lifted the roof off Fratton Park had he found the net.

But the goals are only one element of his game, and Pompey remain a much more positive-looking outlet with the much-adored frontman in the side.

Colby Bishop is vital to Portsmouth and not just for goals

Bishop will be beating himself up over chances he has missed in recent weeks, with a fresh-air shot against Millwall another huge opportunity he had at the Fratton End last Tuesday (28 January).

All strikers go through these little spells, and he has only gone three games without a goal - during which Thomas Waddingham's debut consolation at West Brom (25 January) was the only goal Pompey as a team managed.

Bishop is excellent as a link-up player, and it is partially down to him why the Blues create good chances in and around the box. His qualities as a striker make him an ideal Championship player, even if he is not as prolific as his League One days.

There is time for him to adapt and improve, too. Maybe he would be bang in the goals right now had he not had to go through the arduous trauma of heart surgery and his subsequent recovery.

Returning to the pitch 12 weeks after the major operation - which put his entire career in doubt - is nothing short of heroic from the 28-year-old, and he is being afforded the time he should to get back to his best.

The transfer window may spring another surprise before Monday night's deadline (3 February), but Bishop must remain the spearhead of John Mousinho's attack - Pompey are a far better-attacking unit for his presence.

In other Portsmouth news, Guy Whittingham makes an admission on Mousinho after Burnley's antics at Fratton on Saturday.

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