Lincoln 0 Portsmouth 0: Neil Allen's verdict - Flashback to striking agonies of yesteryear as remarkable miss deprives Blues of victory

Racing onto substitute Joe Pigott’s flick-on, the unchallenged Colby Bishop was presented with a one-on-one against Lincoln keeper Carl Rushworth.

With characteristic composure, he allowed the ball to bounce twice while sizing up how to best secure a dramatic 88th-minute winner at the end occupied by 1,313 travelling fans.

Armed with 16 goals during an excellent maiden Pompey campaign, despite often substandard service from team-mates, scoring appeared a mere formality for the Accrington man.

Unfortunately, the outcome must rank among Marquis’ finest work during that unconvincing two-and-a-half seasons as a Blues player.

As the exposed Rushworth charged off his line, from around 11 yards out Bishop lifted a right-footed shot over the advancing stopper – and high into the Blues supporters gathered behind the goal.

In a game of few scoring opportunities, barely any until the final 10 minutes in fact, the striker was fully aware of the significance of a wretched miss.

Initially pulling the Pompey shirt over his head in disbelief and embarrassment, he then despondently bent down to haul up his socks, while later apologised to team-mates within dressing-room confines.

It happens to the best of us, of course.

Marquis netted three times in two Sincil Bank outings for the Blues, before registering on three occasions there for the Imps, having made the switch midway through last season for a six-month spell.

Yet he also endured demoralising moments in front of goal, that Charlton collectors’ item dominant in a file containing a catalogue of shinned shots and spectacular slices.

Ironically on the day Marquis managed his fifth League One goal of the season for Bristol Rovers in his 22nd league appearance, somebody else at a former club shared past familiar agony.

Indeed, it’s difficult to be too critical of Bishop as he closes in on Marquis’ haul of 18 goals in the 2020-21 campaign when Pompey finish eighth.

The Blues have relied far too heavily on not merely his goalscoring talents, but exhaustive work-rate when leading the line, coupled with admirable willingness to scrap away without petulance or complaint.

His 16-goal haul is even more remarkable considering the abject team creativity which has so regularly blighted the Blues this season, thereby strangling goal opportunities for a forward tantalisingly capable of finishing them.

Incidentally, no other player has mustered more than four league goals among a group purportedly well-equipped for a promotion challenge this season.

Nonetheless, there can be no mitigation for Bishop’s dreadful miss which cost Mousinho’s men two points against Lincoln. He should have converted.

Not that failure to win at Lincoln will impact Pompey’s play-off hopes, they were extinguished last month as the chasm became far too big to bridge amid Danny Cowley’s removal.

Andy Cullen avoided pinning up promotion targets upon Mousinho’s arrival, stressing this was no play-offs or bust scenario for the rookie head coach.

The ex-Oxford player has now registered 11 points from six matches and rediscovered the winning touch which had eluded Cowley, forcing a necessary change of head coach.

During those fixtures, the Blues have faced three of the current top six, and, despite the obvious quality of opposition, had good moments in such games, particularly in the latter parts of proceedings.

Nonetheless, regardless of early beginnings to his time at Fratton Park, Pompey are 15 points adrift of the play-offs with 16 matches remaining. Surely realistic ambition now would be finishing higher than last term’s disappointing 10th placing.

Pompey, of course, have Bishop to chiefly thank for mid-table residency – of their 37 league goals, the lowest amount in League One’s top 11, he has contributed 12 of them.

Another reason not to be too harsh on Saturday’s horror miss at Sincil Bank, a feat which shouldn’t overshadow all the immense good he has brought to the Blues since his summer arrival.

Certainly there are far bigger headaches elsewhere in this Pompey team, particularly with news that Marlon Pack is sidelined for 4-6 weeks with a meniscus tear in his knee.

The skipper’s searing desire to face Burton saw him given a late fitness test, which he inevitably failed, before scan results highlighted the true extent of damage.

Still, there were two changes to that side who claimed a stoppage time win over the Brewers, with Matt Macey and Ryan Tunnicliffe recalled for Lincoln.

Macey had missed the previous two matches through illness, yet was able to return in place of Josh Oluwayemi, who continues to have bright moments when called upon to mind Pompey’s goal.

The decision for Tunnicliffe to replace Louis Thompson in the centre of midfield was not as obvious, however, particularly with the latter’s holding skills in the absence of Pack.

Meanwhile, Mousinho’s bench was boosted by the comebacks of Ronan Curtis and Di’Shon Bernard following injury, with Toby Steward, Denver Hume and Kieron Freeman all dropping out.

What unfolded was a fixture in which each manager afterwards felt they warranted the win, with the Imps’ Danny Mandroiu striking the bar during the second half.

Yet until the final 10 minutes, both teams struggled to test either goalkeeper, despite glimpses of promising moments during long, meandering drab spells.

Jack Diamond should have done far better after 70 seconds with a clear run of goal when a ball over the top exploited Ryley Towler’s positioning, yet couldn’t get his attempt on target.

At the other end, Tunnicliffe had the Blues’ best chance of the first half when helpfully presented with time and space inside the box – only to then wastefully send a left-footed volley wide.

Yet the introductions of Pigott and Curtis off the bench in the 59th minute did pep up the Blues, with one Curtis shot blocked by the sliding Regan Poole after an excellent cross from the impressive Joe Rafferty.

Late on, Macey, was finally forced into saves in an otherwise quiet afternoon, two of them, while, at the death, Rushworth stopped a difficult chance from the lively Curtis.

However, the best opportunity of the day fell to Colby Bishop – and next time he’ll bury it.