Stuart McCall’s side enter the game on the back of a convincing 4-1 win over Southend United on Tuesday night, which saw them win their first game in five matches and climb to 15th in the table.
Tom Pearce levelled the score in the first half to open his account for the season, after Simon Cox had initially opened the scoring for the visitors early on. Then, in the second half, the Iron ran riot, as Tony McMahon netted his first goal for the club, before George Thomas and James Perch put the result beyond the Shrimpers.
As for Portsmouth, they were also in midweek action and were involved in an entertaining game, which ended in a 3-2 win for Pompey at the Banks's Stadium. Brett Pitman’s penalty put them 1-0 up, before Omar Bogle and Viv Solomon-Otabor added to the tally.
Despite a late rally from Walsall, who scored two late goals, Pompey were able to hold on for all three points, as they sit fourth in the league table.
TEAM NEWS…
Levi Sutton picked up a groin strain in the midweek victory over Southend and manager McCall has confirmed the midfielder faces seven-to-ten days out of action. Elsewhere, there are no fresh injury worries.
Josh Morris and Jordan Clarke are back on the training pitch but will still be out of action for an unspecified length of time as the medical staff continue to monitor them.
Elsewhere, Ryan Colclough (knee) is out for the remainder of the season. Rory Watson (arm) also looks likely to be out for the rest of the season following surgery last month.
Matthew Lund is out until April after a clean-up operation on a knee problem, while loanee Cameron Borthwick-Jackson is now back with the club and will resume full training on Monday following almost two months out with cartilage damage.
PAST MEETINGS…
The Iron have a good record against Pompey of late and have only lost once in their last six meetings. That only loss came in the reverse fixture at Glanford Park earlier in the season, when Portsmouth narrowly won 2-1.
As for the last match at Fratton Park, the teams played out a 1-1 draw in January 2018, as Kevin van Veen got on the scoresheet for the Iron to level the score after Jamal Lowe put Pompey in front during the first half.
However, the previous four fixtures before that saw the Iron will them all, with three victories at Glanford Park and the other one at Fratton Park.
The last time the Iron won away at Portsmouth was in November 2013 in League Two, when Dave Syers netted a brace to secure the comeback and the three points, after Pompey had taken an early lead.
The Iron will be hoping for the same sort of form this weekend, as they look to bolster their record against Pompey.
| SEASON/DATE | COMPETITION | RESULT | IRON SCORERS |
| 2018-19 - Sat 24 Nov | LG 1 | Iron 1-2 Portsmouth | van Veen |
| 2017-18 - Sat 13 Jan | LG 1 | Portsmouth 1-1 Iron | van Veen |
| 2017-18 - Sat 23 Sep | LG 1 | Iron 2-0 Portsmouth | Novak, Holmes |
| 2013-14 - Sat 22 Feb | LG 2 | Iron 5-1 Portsmouth | Syers 3, Winnall, Madden |
| 2013-14 - Sat 23 Nov | LG 2 | Portsmouth 1-2 Iron | Syers 2 |
| 2012-13 - Tue 5 Feb | LG 1 | Iron 2-1 Portsmouth | Sodje 2 |
| 2012-13 - Sat 29 Sep | LG 1 | Portsmouth 2-1 Iron | Clarke |
| 2010-11 - Sat 7 May | CHAMP | Iron 1-1 Portsmouth | Nunez |
| 2010-11 - Tue 1 Mar | CHAMP | Portsmouth 2-0 Iron | |
| 2003-04 - Sat 24 Jan | FAC R4 | Portsmouth 2-1 Iron | Parton |
| 1979-80 - Sat 26 Jan | DIV 4 | Iron 1-0 Portsmouth | Partridge |
| 1979-80 - Sat 25 Aug | DIV 4 | Portsmouth 6-1 Iron | Pilling |
| 1978-79 - Tue 3 Apr | DIV 4 | Iron 2-2 Portsmouth | Couch, Bloomer |
| 1978-79 - Tue 12 Sep | DIV 4 | Portsmouth 0-0 Iron | |
| 1963-64 - Sat 1 Feb | DIV 2 | Portsmouth 3-4 Iron | Hodgson 3, Smillie |
| 1963-64 - Sat 21 Sep | DIV 2 | Iron 1-1 Portsmouth | Hodgson |
| 1962-63 - Sat 9 Mar | DIV 2 | Portsmouth 1-2 Iron | Hodgson, Wilson |
| 1962-63 - Thu 7 Mar | FAC R3 Rep | Iron 1-2 Portsmouth | McGuigan |
| 1962-63 - Sat 26 Jan | FAC R3 | Portsmouth 1-1 Iron | Godfrey |
| 1962-63 - Fri 19 Oct | DIV 2 | Iron 1-2 Portsmouth | Brownsword |
| 1960-61 - Sat 15 Apr | DIV 2 | Portsmouth 2-2 Iron | Kaye, Godfrey |
| 1960-61 - Sat 12 Nov | DIV 2 | Iron 5-1 Portsmouth | Thomas 2, Godfrey 2, Sharpe |
| 1959-60 - Sat 2 Apr | DIV 2 | Iron 1-0 Portsmouth | Donnelly |
| 1959-60 - Sat 14 Nov | DIV 2 | Portsmouth 4-0 Iron | |
| 1953-54 - Mon 8 Feb | FAC R3 Rep2 | Portsmouth 4-0 Iron | |
| 1953-54 - Wed 3 Feb | FAC R3 Rep | Portsmouth 2-2 Iron | Jones 2 |
| 1953-54 - Sat 30 Jan | FAC R3 | Iron 1-1 Portsmouth | Jones |
Our full record against Portsmouth is as follows:
| SCUNTHORPE WINS | DRAWS | PORTSMOUTH WINS | |
| League | 10 | 6 | 5 |
| FA Cup | 0 | 3 | 3 |
| Total | 10 | 9 | 8 |
ONE TO WATCH…
24-year-old winger Jamal Lowe has been the main man for Portsmouth this season and has 12 goals to his name to coincide with six assists.
Rising through the ranks at non-league level with the likes of Hampton and Richmond, Hemel Hempstead and St Albans, the tricky winger has had to fight for his chance to play in the Football League.
However, since joining Portsmouth in 2017, Lowe hasn’t looked back and has kick started his career in League One, scoring 21 times in just 93 appearances across two seasons.
The winger will be sure to keep the Iron defence on their toes again on Saturday.
ELSEWHERE IN LEAGUE ONE…
FRIDAY
Doncaster Rovers vs Barnsley
SATURDAY
Accrington Stanley vs Rochdale
Bristol Rovers vs Charlton Athletic
Burton Albion vs Blackpool
Fleetwood Town vs Plymouth Argyle
Luton Town vs Gillingham
Oxford United vs Bradford City
Peterborough United vs Coventry City
Shrewsbury Town vs Wycombe Wanderers
Southend United vs AFC Wimbledon
Sunderland vs Walsall
