A DEFLECTED goal from David Nugent eight minutes from time robbed Scunthorpe United of a victory on the final day of the season - and means they finish the season bottom of the table.

A moment of individual brilliance from Ramon Nunez looked to have earned the Iron only their sixth win of the campaign at Glanford Park.

But Nugent's scrappy finish, in a game in which Pompey offered little as an attacking force aside from the former Preston striker, meant - not for the first time in 2010/11 - United's fans went home feeling frustrated.

Before a ball had even been kicked, the Iron gave the biggest indication yet that two of their out-of-contract stars will not be at Glanford Park next season by leaving them out of their starting line-up.

Defender David Mirfin was only on the bench, while goalkeeper Joe Murphy did not even make the 18, suggesting both will move on this summer.

Their absences allowed boss Alan Knill to have a look at Josh Lillis between the posts, while Paul Reid started his first match in more than a month alongside Michael Nelson at the back.

Three of the Iron's loanees - Marcus Williams, Ramon Nunez and Joe Garner - all featured in the final match of their spells on loan with United.

The opening exchanges bore all the hallmarks of an end of season affair with nothing riding on it.

The ball spent the majority of its time in the middle of the park, with both sides short on quality when it came to the opposition's defending third.

It took until the 22nd first minute for some action of any note but even then Garner could not control Mark Duffy's perfectly weighted through ball on the edge of the Pompey penalty area.

Within 60 seconds, Nelson had also gone close, heading Michael O'Connor's left-wing corner wide at the near post.

But just when it looked like it would take a scrappy goal to break the deadlock, Nunez produced a moment of individual magic to fire Scunthorpe ahead in the 27th minute.

Seizing upon a poor clearance from keeper Jamie Ashdown, the Honduran cut inside from the left flank and stepped inside several challenges before expertly digging the ball out of his feet and tucking a precision shot inside the left-hand post.

Buoyed by the goal, the home side continued to make most of the running - and had their chances to increase their lead.

Duffy was punished for dwelling too long on the ball when he had an effort blocked at the near post and O'Connor brought a decent low stop out of Ashdown on the back of a one-two with the lively Iron winger.

Pompey's best effort at getting back on level terms came in first-half stoppage time, when Liam Lawrence fired wide from range - a strike which drew ironic cheers from 1,500 visiting fans.

Play in the second half was brighter, as the visitors tried to up the tempo.

David Nugent tested Lillis with a header from a corner and then, with the Iron stopper beaten, was unlucky to see a long-range drive in the 55th minute rebound back into the play off the foot of a post.

Scunthorpe's hopes of adding to their tally remained with Nunez, whose persistence almost created an opening for a packed penalty box.

He also again came close with an effort from outside the box, which Ashdown had to be alert to tip over the bar.

Scunthorpe's rhythm was disrupted shortly after the hour mark when Lillis was forced off with an injury, forcing Sam Slocombe into only his second league appearance of the campaign.

But they continued to fashion the better chances, the best of which fell to Grant, who could not beat Ashdown from five yards out after the Pompey keeper had dropped what should have been a routine catch, from a Duffy shot, onto the post.

It proved to be a crucial miss too, as Pompey hit back in the 82nd minute.

The ball had pinged around the home penalty area several times before Nugent struck it goalwards but his shot was deemed to have bounced over the line via a wicked deflection off the unfortunate Sam Togwell.

There was still time for O'Connor to hit the woodwork with a free-kick that spun off the top of the Portsmouth wall and onto the bar.

But in truth, the manner of the visiting goal was a fitting way to bring the curtain down on an arduous and often frustrating campaign.