Five of West Ham United’s loanees saw action in a busy weekend of football at home and abroad...
Freddie Potts continued to impress for Portsmouth in the EFL Championship, picking up an assist as Pompey came from behind to take a huge three points at home to Middlesbrough. His goal contribution on Saturday means he has now matched his tally in terms of goals and assists from last season’s League One loan spell, a campaign which saw him pick up the Players’ Player of the Season as well as the Supporters’ Player of the Season for Wycombe Wanderers.
After falling behind to an Emmanuel Latte Lath goal in the 30th minute, Potts set up the equaliser shortly after half-time. The 21-year-old clipped the ball perfectly over the top of the Boro defence into the path of Matt Ritchie, who made no mistake in converting his first goal for Portsmouth.
💙 Matt Ritchie's first #Pompey goal at Fratton Park. pic.twitter.com/QTqv4glqjG
— Portsmouth FC (@Pompey) January 19, 2025
Ritchie was then at the double ten minutes from time to wrap up a 2-1 win and the points for the home side. However, the celebrations were tempered by the tragic news of a supporter passing away at Fratton Park despite the valiant efforts of the emergency services.
Staying in the Championship, George Earthy featured on the bench as his Bristol City side fell to a 1-0 defeat to Coventry City courtesy of a second-half strike from Brandon Thomas-Asante.
In EFL League One action, Callum Marshall came on in the 58th minute replacing Joe Taylor as Huddersfield Town rescued a point away to Blackpool. Against a side who had not won at home since September, Huddersfield went into half-time with a 2-0 deficit. Despite trailing at the break, they quickly turned it around with goals from Joe Taylor and Brodie Spencer. Huddersfield had chances to win it, including a long-range effort from Marshall after riding a few challenges, and a point-blank header from Tom Lees saved by Everton loanee Harry Tyrer. Ultimately, they would have to settle for 2-2 and a point, extending their unbeaten league run to 16 games as they continue to compete for automatic promotion back to the Championship.
Also in the race for promotion to the Championship, Gideon Kodua’s Wycombe Wanderers snatched a late 2-1 victory at Mansfield Town. The Chairboys took the lead just before the hour mark as Richard Kone followed in his saved penalty. Just ten minutes later, they were pegged back by an excellent Mansfield move as Grenada international Lucas Akins headed in from a Stephen McLaughlin cross. Kodua was then brought on in place of captain Jack Grimmer, deployed as a right-back from where he had set up Wycombe’s second goal last time out in their FA Cup third-round tie against Portsmouth. Mansfield went on to miss clear chances to take all three points and were punished when veteran Garath McCleary scored his third goal of the season to move Wycombe back into the automatic promotion places.
In League Two, Patrick Kelly continues to recover from injury as his Doncaster Rovers side continued their play-off push with a narrow 1-0 win away to Gillingham, thanks to a 33rd-minute goal from leading marksman Luke Molyneux.
In the National League South, Mason Terry’s Hornchurch were defeated 2-1 by Essex outfit Chelmsford City. A brace from Finley Wilkinson was enough to secure all three points for the Clarets despite a late consolation goal from Liam Nash.
Elsewhere, Nayef Aguerd made his 15th La Liga start for Real Sociedad, who were defeated 1-0 by a Valencia side looking to stave off their first relegation since the mid-1980s. Mohammadou Kanté’s Paris FC and Kurt Zouma’s Al Orobah were also in action over the weekend, but neither featured in their respective side’s defeats.
