Pompey Sign Winger Holmes

Last updated : 25 November 2014 By Jim Bonner

Andy Awford has bolstered his squad by borrowing Preston winger Lee Holmes until early January.

The 27-year-old predominantly plays on the left and is a tricky, direct winger with pace but has been hampered by injuries during his career, so he's basically a carbon copy of namesake Ricky only with the talent to play at a higher level.

Some Pompey fans may take issue with the fact that Holmes was a Southampton player for four years but he only played 29 games for them, scoring once.

He has been more prolific with Preston, scoring five times in 56 appearances and also has experience in League Two recently having been loaned to Oxford in 2012, where he scored twice in seven games.

Holmes has only played one game this season and undoubtedly fans will question the decision to sign a winger when Miles Storey played so well there on Saturday and there are reserves to call upon in Ricky Holmes and Andy Barcham.

However, it seems like Barcham could be heading for the exit door and one good performance on the wing from Storey is no guarantee that he can be consistent in that position, especially away from home where he (and Ricky) tend to go missing. Lee has experience at a higher level and that could be vital to turning around Pompey's dismal away form.

The emergency loan window closes on Thursday and Awford is keen to bring in at least one more player, but that would mean players having to leave the club too, but whom?

David Connolly is going to sit on his contract and therefore not go anywhere but the likes of Adam Webster, Nick Awford, Patrick Agyemang and Bradley Tarbuck are unlikely to see much game time and could be loaned out. It wouldn't be surprising to see Alex Wynter shipped back to Crystal Palace either after a disappointing loan spell.

Watch this space.