Hiwula set to stay on, Reeco is off

JORDY Hiwula is staying to assist Pompey’s promotion ambition.

While fellow attacker Reeco Hackett-Fairchild is poised for a loan switch with Southend.

Hiwula yesterday pledged his immediate future to Fratton Park by extending his deal until the season’s end.

The striker’s short-term contract was scheduled to expire on January 20 – and he had been attracting interest from Swindon.

However, the 26-year-old has opted to stay and compete for a first-team spot with John Marquis and Ellis Harrison for the second-half of the campaign.

And he will once again be in Pompey’s squad for Sunday’s FA Cup third-round encounter at Bristol City.

Hiwula arrived at the

Blues in October as a free agent having been released by League One title holders Coventry in the summer.

The forward has since scored three times in five matches .

.Meanwhile, HackettFairchild is being lined up for a loan deal with Southend for the remainder of the season.

The attacker has yet to feature for Pompey in league action since arriving from non-league Bromley a year ago. Instead he has been restricted to just one outing – in the Leasing.com Trophy at Walsall in January 2020, days following his signing.

League Two strugglers Southend can offer a frustrated Hackett-Fairchild regular first-team football, which has so far eluded him at Fratton Park. On Sunday, he returned to Pompey following an impressive loan spell with former club Bromley in the National League.

He made 12 appearances, netting twice, after arriving in September – but the Blues were keen to find him a Football League club.

The Southend deal is in the process of being finalised, but is expected to go through for the 22-year-old.