Marcus Browne’s fine form continued as the West Ham United loanee scored the opening goal in Oxford United’s 2-0 EFL League One win over Blackpool.
The attacking midfielder, who turns 21 on Tuesday, netted his third in three games and seventh of the season as the U’s defeated the Tangerines at the Kassam Stadium to rise to 18th in the table.
Browne, who has been receiving advice from former West Ham and England defender and fellow Academy of Football graduate Rio Ferdinand, has now scored three goals and registered three assists in his last five League One appearances.
Elsewhere, Jordan Hugill played the full 90 minutes for Middlesbrough as Tony Pulis’s side were defeated 2-1 at Queens Park Rangers in the EFL Championship. Boro’s reverse at Loftus Road made it four league games without a win and saw them drop to sixth in the standings.
Josh Cullen is currently out of action due to a shoulder injury, so missed Charlton Athletic’s 2-0 victory over AFC Wimbledon in League One. Lee Bowyer’s Addicks are in the thick of the Play-Off race in fifth position, having won five of their last six matches.
Further afield, Toni Martinez was the only one of West Ham’s four overseas loanees to feature for his respective club.
The striker played the opening 45 minutes for Rajo Majadahonda, who were beaten 3-1 at home by Elche to fall to 16th in the Spanish Segunda Division. In the same competition, Sead Haksabanovic did not climb off the substitutes’ bench as third-place Malaga beat Cadiz 1-0 at home.
In the Dutch Eredivisie, Martin Samuelsen was an unused substitute as VVV-Venlo lost 2-1 at Vitesse. Finally, in Italy, Edimilson Fernandes missed Fiorentina’s 3-1 Serie A win over Empoli through suspension.