West Ham United's quintet of loanees enjoyed differing fortunes on Saturday.
Freddie Sears and Matt Fry were on the winning side as Crystal Palace and Gillingham scored victories, but Scunthorpe United pair Jordan Spence and Bondz 'Gala went down to defeat at Blackpool. Josh Payne, meanwhile, sat out the weekend's action.
Sears returned to the Palace starting lineup as the Eagles soared to an impressive 1-0 win against Gordon Strachan's Middlesbrough.
The success would have been all the sweeter for the 19-year-old, who was part of the West Ham team beaten 2-0 at the Riverside Stadium in an FA Cup fifth-round replay in February. Sears played for 88 minutes at Selhurst Park this time around before being replaced by Alassane 'Diaye.
In the same division, reserve-team captain 'Gala made his Scunthorpe debut as a 78th-minute replacement for fellow Academy graduate Grant McCann in the 4-1 loss at Bloomfield Road. Spence remained on the bench as an unused substitute.
Fry made his FA Cup bow in Gillingham's impressive 3-0 first-round win against Southend United at the Priestfield Stadium. The 19-year-old defender was booked as the Gills gained revenge for the 1-0 League One defeat the Kent side suffered at Roots Hall eight days previously.
Payne was not involved as Colchester United won 4-0 at Blue Square South Bromley, as the Hammers had not given the midfielder permission to play for the U's in the FA Cup.
Elsewhere, former trainee Moses Ashikodi scored the only goal as Blue Square Premier high-fliers Kettering Town upset League One side Hartlepool United - beaten 2-0 by West Ham in last season's fourth round - at Victoria Park.