Loan Watch: Galbraith named star man
Ethan Galbraith had a positive weekend on a personal level, being awarded Man of the Match for his commanding performance in midfield for Salford City, at home to Grimsby Town.
Despite the Ammies drawing 1-1 with the visitors, after Theo Vassell’s second-minute opener was cancelled out by Lewis Richardson’s strike on 29 minutes, Galbraith’s award win adds to his impressive start to life at the Peninsula Stadium.
The 21-year-old will no doubt be hoping to continue his progress this term, with Salford currently sitting in the play-off spots in League Two.
Here is your @TalkTalk Player of the Match!
— Salford City FC (@SalfordCityFC) October 1, 2022
Well played, @EthanGalbraith0 👏 pic.twitter.com/3dQ24XLJEN
Elsewhere, Ethan Laird emerged victorious with Queens Park Rangers on the road, winning 2-1 away to Bristol City in the Championship.
Laird played the full 90 minutes of the clash at Ashton Gate, as first-half goals from Stefan Johansen and Tyler Roberts were enough to ensure the win for the travelling side.
Nakhi Wells managed to halve the deficit after the break for the hosts, but it wasn’t enough, as Laird and QPR continued their own positive start to the 2022/23 campaign.
Two of our other loanees faced each other in the Championship on Saturday, with Alvaro Fernandez travelling with Preston North End to face Sunderland, where fellow Red Amad is plying his trade for the season.
The clash at the Stadium of Light ended in a 0-0 stalemate, with Fernandez impressing across the full 90 minutes, while Amad came on for the final half-hour, but was unable to break the deadlock.
Hannibal was also in Championship action on Saturday, coming on as a second-half substitute in Birmingham City’s 1-1 draw with high-flying Sheffield United at Bramall Lane.
The Tunisia midfielder entered the fray on 65 minutes, seconds after Oli McBurnie had given the Blades the lead.
Keeping the momentum going. 📈 pic.twitter.com/0tS1t4qkEN
— Birmingham City FC (@BCFC) October 2, 2022
And Hannibal’s introduction had the desired effect for Birmingham boss John Eustace, as, just six minutes later, the Blues were level, with former Red Tahith Chong assisting Troy Deeney’s equaliser.
In Oldham, Charlie Wellens made a substitute appearance in a 2-1 home defeat against Wrexham, coming on with 21 minutes to go and the home side leading.
However, Ben Tozer levelled for the visitors with just five minutes of normal time to go, before Paul Mullin scored a penalty in the 95th minute to seal the three points for Wrexham.
On the continent, Alex Telles and Sevilla fell to a 2-0 home defeat against Atletico Madrid. The Brazilian started the fixture on the bench, but was introduced after just 28 minutes to replace the injured Karim Rekik.
Goals from Marcos Llorente and Alvaro Morata either side of the break sealed the win for Atletico in Seville, leaving Julen Lopetegui’s side just one point above the relegation zone in La Liga.
Matej Kovar had better luck with Sparta Prague, playing the full 90 between the sticks as his side beat Hradec Kralove 2-1.
Despite being reduced to 10 men after 29 minutes, with the dismissal of Tomas Cvancara, the home side fought back from goal down to record a vital win.
The visitors were also reduced to 10 after 72 minutes, with Vojtch Smrz also being awarded a red card, and Kovar and his defence saw out the rest of the match with great resilience.
Fellow loanee goalkeeper, Dean Henderson, will be in action this evening, when Nottingham Forest travel to Leicester City for an intriguing Premier League fixture. With both sides currently sitting in the relegation zone, this one is a must-watch.