Our weekly look at how West Ham United’s loanees fared for their Clubs at home and across Europe...
Freddie Potts scooped Wycombe Wanderers' Players’ Player of the Season and Supporters’ Player of the Season awards to cap off a phenomenal loan spell with the Chairboys.
Potts, who has won the most tackles (89), had the most interceptions (56), second-most passes (1,246) and second-most take-ons completed (26) in League One this season, missed the last game of the campaign through injury, but was paraded around Adams Park at half-time in front of the supporters.
The Chairboys rounded off their season in style with a 1-0 win against Charlton Athletic, as Luke Leahy’s seventh-minute penalty sealed a tenth-place finish for Matt Bloomfield’s side.
— Wycombe Wanderers (@wwfcofficial) April 28, 2024
Further up the English pyramid, midfielder Flynn Downes was a second half substitute for Southampton, who fell to a 1-0 home defeat against Stoke City, mathematically ending their hopes of automatic promotion.
Stoke took an early lead through Tyrese Campbell and, despite Downes’ positive introduction on 63 minutes, the visitors were able to hang on to achieve Championship safety.
In League Two, Dan Chesters came off the bench for Salford City as they shared the spoils at home to Harrogate Town.
Salford were ahead inside five minutes, when Callum Hendry rose highest to meet Luke Garbutt’s corner and head into the top corner, before the visitors levelled after 27 minutes as Abraham Odoh slotted beyond Alex Cairns.
Their joy was short-lived, however, as Ryan Watson’s volley restored the Ammies' lead just six minutes later, only for Matty Foulds to level in first half stoppage time.
FA Youth Cup-winning goalkeeper Mason Terry, who last week picked up the Supporters' Player of the Season award at Concord Rangers, saw his side lose 2-0 as they ended their Isthmian League Premier Division campaign with a whimper.
Already-relegated Concord were behind after 17 minutes. Jack Mazzone capped off a well-constructed move to put Horsham ahead, before Jack Brivio headed home James Hammonds’ cross eleven minutes later to double the Hornets’ lead and ultimately seal victory.
In France, it was a good weekend for Saïd Benrahma, as he scored a goal and grabbed an assist to bolster Lyon’s European hopes in a 3-2 win over Thilo Kehrer’s Monaco.
Both loanees started for their respective sides, but it was Monaco who struck first inside one minute at Groupama Stadium through prolific forward Wissam Ben Yedder.
But Lyon came roaring back and levelled through Alexandre Lacazette, who was found unmarked by Benrahma six yards out, and he coolly slotted home the equaliser.
And just four minutes, provider Benrahma turned scorer to turn the contest on its head, as he latched onto a ball inside the box and emphatically finished beyond Radoslaw Majecki.
Ben Yedder then headed home his second on the hour-mark – and after the Frenchman spurned his hat-trick opportunity, while having another ‘goal’ ruled out for offside – the hosts stole the points six minutes from time.
Lacazette threaded the ball through one-on-one for substitute Malick Fofana, who kept his cool to wrongfoot goalkeeper Radoslaw Majecki and steer home.
It was a successful weekend for goalkeeper Krisztián Hegyi in the Netherlands, as FC Den Bosch continued their recent upturn in form with a 3-2 victory away at VVV Venlo.
Elsewhere, Nathan Trott helped Vejle BK to a point against Lyngby in the Denmark SuperLiga. Saevar Magnusson opened the scoring for Lyngby after 38 minutes, only for German Onugka to cancel it out four minutes after the interval.
Vejle remain second bottom of the SuperLiga with five games remaining, ahead of a crucial relegation six-pointer at home to Odense next Monday evening.
