Southampton FC loanee Guido Carrillo earned his Leganés side a valuable point in their La Liga survival push, with an equaliser at home to mid-table Alavés. This and more in this week’s Loan Watch, in association with Kuflink…
The forward headed home his side’s only goal of the game in the 59th minute, assisted by Óscar Rodríguez following a corner, meaning Leganés closed the gap on 18th placed Mallorca to two points.
Javier Aguirre’s team remain five points from safety and had their push for survival made an even greater challenge following top scorer Martin Braithwaite’s move to Barcelona.
The strike against Alavés was Carrillo’s first for Leganés in La Liga this season, as he looks to fill the void left by his departing teammate.
Elsewhere in Europe it was a successful weekend for youngster Callum Slattery, who helped his side confirm their Nacompetite play-off place in Eerste Divisie.
Slattery came off the bench to play 12 minutes for De Graafschap, who qualified as winners of the third period in Eerste Divisie with a 5-1 win over AZ Alkmaar’s Under-23s.
De Graafschap join the teams with the best record in period one and period two of the Eerste Divisie season in the Nacompetite play-offs as they look for an immediate return to Eredivisie following relegation last year.
On the topic of Europe it was a less successful week for Fraser Forster and Mohamed Elyounoussi at Celtic, who both featured as their side lost 3-1 at home to Copenhagen in the Europa League.
The defeat meant that following a 1-1 first leg draw away from home, Neil Lennon’s side exited the competition 4-2 on aggregate.
Forster played the full 90 minutes, whilst Elyounoussi was subbed off with 20 to go during Thursday night’s defeat.
At the weekend, however, Forster and Celtic made amends; the keeper kept a clean sheet as the Hoops reached the semi-finals of the Scottish Cup with a 1-0 win at St. Johnstone.
Elyounoussi missed the trip after picking up an injury in training during the week following Thursday’s defeat.
Closer to home there was disappointment for Gillingham’s Alfie Jones and Tom O’Connor, both playing the majority of Steve Evans’s side’s home defeat to AFC Wimbledon in League One.
Saturday’s defeat to the Dons ended Gillingham’s run of 15 league games unbeaten, with the side missing the chance to go within four points of the play-off places.
Jones played 62 minutes as he continued his recovery from a recent injury, whilst O’Connor played 72 minutes.
Elsewhere in League One it was a mixed week for Kayne Ramsay on loan at Shrewsbury Town.
The youngster played 90 minutes of his side’s 3-2 home defeat to Tranmere Rovers, before coming on during the last ten minutes of their 1-0 win at Bristol Rovers.
In the lower leagues, Kingsley Latham impressed as Gosport Borough battled to a 0-0 draw at home to Salisbury during the week.
Latham’s clean sheet keeps Boro eighth in the Southern South Premier League, a point behind Tuesday night’s opponents.
It’s Latham’s second league clean sheet since joining the side at the end of January, with Boro unbeaten in three of their five games since his arrival.
Finally, across the pond, Josh Sims helped New York Red Bulls kick off their latest MLS season with an entertaining win over FC Cincinnati.
Sims came on and played 23 minutes as the Red Bulls kicked off the current campaign with a 3-2 win at Red Bull Arena.
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