John Marquis passed up guilt-edged chances to give Portsmouth a two goal lead against Charlton Athletic on Saturday.

The former Millwall striker was disappointed in himself at the end of the match but manager Danny Cowley's faith in him is unwavering, as was apparent when he spoke to Portsmouth.co.uk.

Cowley said: "My heart is with John (Marquis), he came in and said sorry to the boys, but he doesn't need to.

"He tried so hard for the team, defended from the front brilliantly and did great for Marcus’ (Harness) goal, but he missed some chances – that’s the life of a number nine, I guess.
"John Marquis was born to score goals, John Marquis always scores goals and John Marquis will score goals. We believe that."

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It is definitely a positive that Marquis is getting in positions to score. The real concerns would come for Cowley if the 29-year-old was not looking like scoring, if he continues to receive chances like he did at The Valley then the goals will come sooner rather than later.
A fit and firing John Marquis is an asset to any side at League One level and could be the catalyst to firing Pompey back into the top six.
The Verdict
Cowley speaks so well after a match and does exactly that here. He knows the potential of the striker in question once he hits form and was right to pay tribute to his brilliant assist for Marcus Harness.
Despite the crushing missed chances it was a step in the right direction on Saturday, 18 goals and six assists last term speak to Marquis' true ability in the third tier, it is down to Cowley and the rest of the squad to get the best out of him.
Pompey travel to Burton Albion on Tuesday evening knowing that a win could see them return to the play-off places.