Yet, despite scoring five goals from only eight starts this season, he expects to be polishing the bench once more against the Premier League visitors hoping to play another brief cameo role late on.

Surprisingly the 27-year-old is not banging the manager's door down at Deepdale demanding his chance.

"As long as I'm involved in some way," he said after his goal at Colchester on Tuesday put him level with joint top scorers Karl Hawley and Simon Whaley.

Follow the audio link above to hear from Neil Mellor.

"If the gaffer wants to keep involving me coming off the bench then I am happy to do that.

"I'm sure there will be a time when he gives me a run-out and I'm hoping when he does I won't let him down."

Mellor netted barely four minutes after he was sent on at Layer Road.

Three of his four other goals this term have also come from the bench.

But he wouldn't be the first Preston player recently to laugh off the tag 'supersub'.

"I'm feeling sharp," he said. "I said all along that I wanted to stay fit this season and play my part. That's what I have been trying to do. And I'm not complaining.

"The two lads up front, Browny and Karl, haven't let the side down.

They have worked really hard together and they have looked a good partnership.

"One day I will get a chance. And if it is Sunday then I just hope I can get a goal and be on the winning side."

>> Pompey warm-up for Deepdale clash

If Mellor wanted to shout the odds, he could claim his rate of five in eight starts (and 17 sub appearances) compares more than favourably with Hawley's five in 17 (6) and Whaley's five in 21 (11).

During last season's continuing injury problems he scored once from two starts and five subs. Overall his record with North End has been a
commendable six out of 10 (22).

Sunday on live TV would be a good time to get in the side with the suffocating pressure of fighting the drop temporarily lifted.

Despite home advantage, Alan Irvine's side are the clear underdogs against a Pompey team pushing for a European place in the top flight.

Mellor, who spent time in the Premier League at Liverpool and on loan with Wigan, believes Preston are capable of pulling off a shock.

"This is the fifth round of the FA Cup and everyone knows what can happen in this competition," he said.

"But really it is a nice little distraction from all the bother of the relegation fight.

"However you look at it, it is always a bit depressing to be in a relegation battle rather than a promotion push.

"The FA Cup gives us a chance to get away from all that and enjoy the day.

"Who knows, with the crowd behind us and with a bit of luck, it could be a momentous occasion for us.

"Heads have not dropped after Tuesday's defeat at Colchester, not at all.

"We will go out there on Sunday determined to forget about the league for 90 minutes and enjoy a good cup tie."

Mellor will have a spot of handshaking to do before Sunday's game kicks off with former team-mates David James, Milan Baros and David Nugent all likely to be in the Portsmouth squad.

Keeper James was in goal when Mellor spent a loan spell at West Ham in 2003/04. Baros was a strike partner at Liverpool.

But it is Nugent who he is looking forward to greeting the most after the pair hit it off at Preston.

While Nugent is only likely to be on the bench for the cup-tie against his former club, Mellor has already been texting him with the usual football banter ahead of the game.

"He is looking forward to coming back here," he said.

"Nuge was a real character, a good lad. I got on well with him when he was here. He has had a hernia operation a couple of weeks ago so I'm hoping he is going to be all right. Even if he is on the bench, I'm sure he will get a great reception.

"But as long as he ends up on the losing side, I don't mind.

"I think one or two of the lads will be having a quiet word with him not to work as hard as he used to."

Mellor's goal at Colchester on Tuesday was his third in the last six games – and in five of those matches he has been on the bench.

Only when Chris Brown was suspended for the visit to Norwich did he get a start.

Mellor and Brown have not yet started a game together and that is one partnership which Irvine could try in an attempt to find the goals which have been so sadly lacking this season.

The two had the last 13 minutes together at Layer Road and during that time Richard Chaplow had a goal disallowed and Mellor scored.

But the final result was disappointing with the striker adding: "It was a game we really needed to win – and could have done.

"I'm not making any excuses, but there were some pretty contentious decisions that kind of changed the game.

"But the most important thing is we are still out of the bottom three and that's all that matters.

"That's where we have to be at the end of the season.

"My goal was maybe a bit lucky. I should probably have dinked it over him, but I hit it early, the keeper saved it and I was made up because he hit it straight back at me and it looped over him into the net.

"At 1-1 a point would have been good, I would have settled for that.

But a momentary lapse cost us a late goal and we came away with nothing."

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