Pompey aiming to thwart ace who slipped through net

Kenny Jackett’s outfit welcome the Iron to Fratton Park with the visitors’ joint-top scorer, Duane Holmes, set to make his first appearance at PO4.

However, the wide man almost made his home in city postcode.

The 23-year-old trained with Pompey in the summer of 2016 following his release from Huddersfield.

Paul Cook was keen to sign Holmes – but he instead opted for a move to Glanford Park.

The American-born talent has subsequently become one of Graham Alexander’s main men at Scunthorpe.

Last term he helped Scunthorpe reach the League One play-off final, before his side fell to a 3-2 loss against Millwall at Wembley.

Meanwhile, this campaign Holmes has fired on all cylinders.

He’s netted eight times – including in his side’s 2-0 home defeat of the Blues in September – and is the club’s joint-top goalscorer alongside Josh Morris.

Lee Novak was also on Cook’s shopping list in the summer of 2016, after being released by Birmingham.

But the striker opted for a move to Charlton, before joining the Iron this season.

Novak also came back to haunt Pompey as he opened the scoring against Jackett’s side in the reverse fixture at Glanford Park.