Loan round-up – Skipp and White score first senior goals

Midfield duo Oliver Skipp and Harvey White both opened their goalscoring accounts for their respective loan clubs on a busy night of action in the English Football League on Tuesday.

Skippy, outstanding for Championship leaders Norwich City all season, netted his side’s third and final goal in stoppage time as they secured a 3-1 win at Birmingham City to go 10 points clear at the top of the table.

“I haven’t scored in senior football before! It’s definitely one that I’ll remember, but more importantly three points and another step closer to what we want to achieve, so it’s not just about me,” said the typically-modest 20-year-old after finishing off a blistering counter-attack led by team-mate Lukas Rupp.

Skipp has started every game for Norwich in the Championship and FA Cup this term, making 34 appearances to date.

Fellow central midfielder White also bagged his first goal in senior football to give Portsmouth a 1-0 win at Oxford United on his first start for the League One club.

The 19-year-old sent a brilliant header flying into the top corner three minutes after half-time as Pompey went fourth in the table.

“I’m over the moon to get the three points, as well as score my first senior goal on my first league start,” he beamed. “To be honest, I didn’t see the ball hit the back of the net. It came across, I’ve headed it and got a little push. I thought it must have gone in, so I’ve celebrated. All the lads have come over with me and that made it special. I didn’t know I had that in my locker. In terms of heading, I’m only really known for dealing with second balls.”

Harvey had made six substitute appearances for Portsmouth prior to Tuesday night’s outing and was an unused substitute in a 1-0 home defeat to Blackpool at the weekend.

Mixed fortunes for Eyoma

Defender TJ Eyoma returned to Lincoln City’s starting line-up on Tuesday as they battled out a 2-2 home draw with Swindon Town in League One, which saw them drop points in the title race.

Playing at right-back, TJ has been a regular starter for the second-placed Imps over the course of the campaign, but had been on the bench for the previous two league games before being restored to the side against Swindon. He also started the Papa John’s Trophy semi-final against Sunderland last week, where Lincoln narrowly missed out on a place at Wembley after a penalty shootout defeat.

In the same division, striker Troy Parrott started for Ipswich Town in their 1-0 win at Hull City, which leaves them 10th in the table. Troy has started each of his five games since linking up with Ipswich following the end of his stint at Championship side Millwall.

Sessegnon returns for Hoffenheim

There was good news in Germany on Sunday as Ryan Sessegnon returned to action for Hoffenheim as a late substitute in their 4-0 home win over Werder Bremen.

The 20-year-old has been out with an injury since the beginning of January – he’s so far made 17 appearances for the Bundesliga side, scoring twice.

In Spain, defender Juan Foyth has started each of Villarreal’s last four games in all competitions after a brief injury lay-off at the end of January, taking his current total for the season to 18 appearances, although goalkeeper Paulo Gazzaniga is still awaiting his debut for La Liga side Elche after joining them on loan recently – he’s been an unused substitute in each of his initial three games with them, the first of which was against fellow countryman Juan’s side.

Staying in Spain, Spurs Women star Lucia Leon has made three appearances for Madrid CFF since returning to her former club on loan recently – substitute appearances in wins against Rayo Vallecano (2-1) and Athletic Club (1-0) sandwiched a start in a 1-1 draw at Real Sociedad.

Over in America, goalkeeper Brandon Austin has linked up with Orlando City ahead of the start of the MLS season in April.

Excited to be here! The stadium looks amazing!😍 Can’t wait to see it with some fans! 💜🦁 #VamosOrlando pic.twitter.com/PnPofMpoHu

— Brandon Austin (@baustin__) February 20, 2021

Carter-Vickers stars under Woodgate

In the Championship, centre-back Cameron Carter-Vickers has come into the fold for AFC Bournemouth this year after not featuring at all for the first half of the season and has started the last five games in a row in all competitions for the Cherries, who are now managed by our former defender Jonathan Woodgate.

That run of starts has included a 2-0 win at Burnley in the FA Cup, plus key league wins over Birmingham City and Rotherham United – Bournemouth are currently sixth in the standings.

Jack Clarke, meanwhile, has featured in each of Stoke City’s last eight games in the Championship, most recently coming off the bench in a 3-0 home win over Luton Town on Saturday. Stoke are ninth, four points outside the play-offs.

In the Women’s Championship, Elisha Sulola has helped Charlton Athletic pick up two consecutive draws as they battle to get away from the lower reaches of the table. Making her debut as a substitute in a 1-0 home defeat to London City Lionesses at the end of January, Elisha has since started in a 1-1 home draw with Blackburn and a dramatic 2-2 home draw with Liverpool last time out, where she won a late penalty that led to Charlton’s second goal. Charlton are 10th in the table, above basement side Coventry United on goal difference.

Minutes for Cambridge duo

Defender Jubril Okedina has started all of Cambridge United’s last six matches as they chase the League Two title.

Having made his debut in a 1-0 defeat to Oxford United in the Papa John’s Trophy in January, the 20-year-old has helped to keep three clean sheets in his six league appearances to date, although the U’s suffered a blow on Tuesday night with a 1-0 home defeat to Cheltenham Town.

Attacker Shilow Tracey featured as a second-half substitute in that game, his fourth substitute appearance and fifth overall for the U’s after spending the first half of the campaign on loan at Shrewsbury Town.

Cambridge remain top by one point, but have played three games more than second-placed Forest Green Rovers.

In the same division, attacking midfielder Jack Roles has made one substitute appearance against Bolton (1-0 defeat) and one start against Crawley Town (1-0 win) for Stevenage since joining them recently, but hasn’t been in their squad for their last two games. They’re currently 20th, 10 points above the drop zone.

Starting out in Scotland

Two of our young players have recently got their first taste of action in the Scottish Championship – co-incidentally, both against Raith Rovers!

Defender Malachi Fagan-Walcott completed 90 minutes on his debut for Dundee FC in a 3-1 defeat at Raith at the end of last month, while striker Kazaiah Sterling came off the bench in the second half for Greenock Morton as they went down 1-0 at home to the same opposition on 6 February.

Both players were on the bench for their respective sides against Queen of the South and Hearts on Saturday.

Dundee are fifth and Greenock Morton eighth in the 10-team division.