FORMER Saints star James Beattie has had his return to Hampshire delayed.

Beattie was scheduled to take charge of Accrington Stanley in tomorrow's League 2 fixture at Portsmouth.

But the game was this afternoon postponed due to a waterlogged pitch.

The decision was made following an inspection of the Fratton Park surface by local referee Andy Davies.

He said: "The pitch was very wet, with standing water in various areas.

"It's barely playable at the moment, but we've also had to take into account the weather forecast, which is pretty dire for the next 24 hours.

"The pitch would therefore be unplayable and it would be dangerous for the players, which is our ultimate concern."

Beattie's Accrington are currently just above the relegation zone, but a win tomorrow would have taken them above a Pompey side who have won just one of their last 10 League 2 encounters.