Five of West Ham United Academy's loanees saw action over a busy weekend across the top five divisions of English football.
In the starting XI for the second time in a week, Michael Forbes claimed back-to-back victories and clean sheets for Northampton Town, who have experienced a dramatic change in fortunes of late after recording no wins in their opening five games of the season.
Forbes followed up his 3-0 victory last Tuesday night, over Chelsea’s U21s in the EFL Trophy, with a 2-0 win over Bolton Wanderers, thanks to strikes from Cameron McGeehan and talisman Sam Hoskins' 99th goal for the Cobblers.
Kevin Nolan’s men have now won five of their last six games in all competitions, recording clean sheets in all of them, meaning they now boast the third-best defensive record in EFL League One.
Staying in League One, Gideon Kodua returned to action after sustaining a knock earlier in the month. His Luton Town side were back to winning ways against newly-promoted Doncaster Rovers, where Kal Naismith’s opener was enough to secure the three points.
The young attacker replaced Hayden Morris as the Hatters held out for a 1-0 victory which moves them back to within two points of the play-offs with a game in hand over sixth-placed Wimbledon.
Further up the table, Lewis Orford awaits his debut for Stevenage, who continued their best-ever start to a league campaign with their seventh win in nine games, a 3-2 victory away at Leyton Orient. Stevenage sit a point off newly-promoted Bradford City who are top of the ranks, albeit with a game in hand.
In the Enterprise National League, goalkeeper Fin Herrick claimed his third clean sheet for Boreham Wood in the early Saturday kick-off in their 1-0 win against Woking. He is yet to lose since joining the Wood on loan, with four wins and a draw to his name. In fact, that form has seen Boreham Wood climb to third, extending their unbeaten run in all competitions to 12.
Also in the English fifth tier, despite a dominant second-half showing from Mason Terry and Regan Clayton’s Braintree Town, early goals from Gateshead left the Iron with too big of a mountain to climb.
Clayton, making his full debut for the club since signing a youth loan earlier this month, almost scored on the stroke of half-time, but his weak-foot shot curled just wide of the far post. Despite a comeback goal from Fulham loanee Terrel Works, Gateshead would not succumb to late pressure and a 2-1 defeat means Braintree now sit just one point off the relegation zone.
In the EFL Championship, Kaelan Casey was an unused substitute in Swansea City’s 1-1 draw at home to Millwall. Meanwhile in the Scottish Premiership, Junior Robinson awaits his debut for Livingston, who fell to a late 2-1 defeat at home to Rangers.
