Five of West Ham United’s loanees were involved in a busy Easter weekend throughout the English football pyramid and abroad...
Freddie Potts and Portsmouth enjoyed a bumper Easter weekend as they chalked up back-to-back victories in the EFL Championship.
Playing all 90 minutes in both matches, the 21-year-old and his side played out a blistering encounter at Carrow Road on Friday, in which they defeated Norwich City 5-3. A Colby Bishop hat-trick helped John Mousinho’s outfit soar to victory and the striker was on target again as they ground out a 1-0 success at home to Watford on Monday.
The successive victories moves Pompey up to 16th in the standings with two games of the campaign remaining.
Elsewhere in the division, George Earthy and Bristol City endured a mixed weekend of fixtures, claiming an important 2-1 win over fourth-place Sunderland before suffering a 3-1 loss away at relegation-threatened Luton Town.
Earthy played 81 minutes in Friday’s success over the Black Cats, in which second-half goals from Rob Dickie and Ross McCorie secured the Robins their 17th victory of the campaign.
However, despite equalising in the 52nd minute through George Tanner, eight minutes before Earthy came on as a second-half substitute, Bristol City fell short at Luton on Monday.
But they still have a firm grip on their play-off spot, sitting fifth, four points ahead of seventh-place Middlesbrough, with two games to play.
It was also a successful four days for Patrick Kelly and Doncaster Rovers, who took a giant step towards promotion from EFL League Two as they soared to the summit with successive 3-0 victories.
After a Luke Molyneux hat-trick sealed the three points on Friday away at Tranmere Rovers, Kelly capped off a resounding win at home to ten-man Colchester United on Monday with a bouncing finish from close range in second-half stoppage time.
The two victories mean Doncaster sit a point clear of second-place Port Vale, but, more importantly, four points inside the automatic-promotion places with two matches of the season remaining.
Meanwhile, in EFL League One, Callum Marshall’s Huddersfield Town’s dreams of promotion to the Championship have faded away after losses to struggling Cambridge United and high-flying Stockport County over the Easter weekend.
Yeees PK! #DRFC pic.twitter.com/Tr74gyOSIi
— Doncaster Rovers FC (@drfc_official) April 21, 2025
After conceding an 88th-minute winner to Stockport on Monday, which followed Friday’s narrow 2-1 defeat at home to the U’s, Marshall was shown a straight red card in the 96th minute at Edgeley Park, and Huddersfield mathematically cannot now finish in the play-off places.
Elsewhere in the division, there was also a blow to Wycombe Wanderers' automatic-promotion hopes, who - after seeing off Bolton Wanderers with two unanswered goals on Friday - fell to a 4-0 loss at home to Charlton Athletic on Monday.
Hammers loannee Gideon Kodua was not involved in either of the Chairboys’ fixtures, who were leapfrogged by Wrexham and now sit two points off the automatic-promotion places.
Conversely, Mason Terry’s Hornchurch chalked up back-to-back victories over the Easter period, beating Tonbridge Angels 1-0 away from home before seeing off visiting Aveley 2-0 on Monday in the Vanarama National League South.
Meanwhile, Regan Clayton did not feature for Dagenham & Redbridge, who picked up what could prove to be a crucial four points with a 1-0 win over Ebbsfleet United and a goalless draw with Braintree Town. Dagenham remain in the Vanarama National League relegation places, but only two points from safety with two games to play.
Overseas, Mohamadou Kanté was not involved in second-place Paris FC’s 1-0 win at home to SC Bastia in Ligue 2, while Kurt Zouma did not feature for Al Orobah in their 4-0 loss to visiting Al-Raed in the Saudi Pro League.
