What Leeds United winner meant to Portsmouth hero as Championship stock continues to rise
Colby Bishop ranked his Leeds United winner as special high in his burgeoning collection of career finishes.
And the Pompey hero saluted the relentless spirit of John Mousinho’s lionhearts, after they outran and outfought the Championship leaders.
Bishop’s second-half finish cut down Daniel Farke’s side on a memorable afternoon at bearpit Fratton Park, as Leeds saw their 17-game unbeaten run come to a close.
The Magic Man has bagged 51 goals in his time at Fratton Park, since sealing a £500,000 arrival from Accrington Stanley in 2022.
The 28-year-old can include hitting the back of the net as Pompey won the League One title against Barnsley, and a goal on his return from heart surgery against Preston last November among his impressive resume.
But downing Leeds on a vibrant afternoon ranks up there with those special moments in Bishop’s opinion.
He said: ‘It’s up there - that goal is right up there. It’s a special goal that I’m always going to remember.
‘The goal was in slow motion and I was just hoping it would go in.
‘I was just waiting for that one chance to come along, it went in and it was very special.’
Pompey’s win against Leeds is impressive on paper, given the unbeaten run and table-topping position of Farke’s men.
But that doesn’t tell the tale of the victory coming with nine Pompey players injured and four central defenders out of the first-team picture.
A work ethic and unity created by Mousinho reaped dividends, however, in a display of fortitude which created memorable scenes on and off the pitch.
Premier League players
Bishop added: ‘The dressing room was absolutely buzzing afterwards and the gaffer was elated with the effort that everyone put in.
‘The lads worked hard and everyone must see that, we do work so hard.
‘We 100 per cent had our threat as well, but against teams like them you have to work your socks off.
‘They are sharp and quick, so you have to do the dirty work which doesn’t allow them to be so good - and we were very good at that.
‘They’ve got Premier League players, and I think we’ve proved how far we’ve come that we can match players like that.
‘We’re happy, but let’s not get carried away because we’ve got a big week and we need to finish the job.’