It was a difficult weekend for our boys abroad in the lower tiers of the English football leagues, as no American contributed to a win for their respective clubs.
Rotherham 1 – 1 Preston North End
PNE and Duane Holmes’ hot streak of form was brought to a halt with a draw against relegation battlers Rotherham, ending their six-match winning streak, and dethroning the team as league leaders after falling to third place.
Preston entered the match fresh from a remarkable midweek comeback against Birmingham, ensuring their continued dominance at the top of the Championship.
However, they were caught off guard when Rotherham, who had only secured one victory in their first seven games, unexpectedly took the lead. The Millers forged ahead against the flow of play as Hugill picked up the ball on the left flank. Preston failed to close down their former striker, allowing him to curl a right-footed shot past Freddie Woodman from a distance of 20 yards.
Preston managed to level the score when Lindsay eluded Sam Clucas in a crowded box and headed in Robbie Brady’s precise delivery. Despite both teams’ efforts, the second half saw no further goals.
Holmes played the majority of the game but ultimately had to be substituted after 70 minutes. The 28-year-old played over 250 minutes across three matches in the span of just eight days, and it might be fatigue setting in.
Blackpool 4 – 1 Reading
Tyler Bindon tasted defeat for the first time in his Reading career in a humiliating 4-1 loss at Blackpool.
In a blistering 11-minute spell in the first half, three goals were scored, two from Jordan Rhodes and one for debutant Kylian Kouassi, leaving a struggling Reading side facing an uphill battle.
Huddersfield loanee Rhodes completed his first hat-trick since in the 51st minute, sealing a match heavily in their favor. He had earlier given the hosts a dream start, converting from the penalty spot in the 20th minute after Sam Hutchinson brought down CJ Hamilton.
Kouassi found the net with a powerful header from Owen Dale’s cross just six minutes later, before Rhodes struck again, this time with a precise shot into the corner. David Button made a superb save to deny Kouassi his second just before half-time, but Rhodes notched another goal, decisively putting the contest to bed.
In the 78th minute, Hutchinson’s shot deflected off James Husband, offering scant consolation for the Royals.
Bindon played the full 90 minutes of Reading’s away trip and, in all honesty, was the ‘best out of the worst’ defender on the night. According to the statistical app FotMob, the 18-year-old completed the most passes in the match (75) and also won the most duels (7). It was a decent individual performance in terms of statistics, but it’s hard to ignore the elephant in the room – the final scoreline.
Stoke City 1 – 3 Hull City
It has been a tough start to life at Stoke City for Lynden Gooch, as the 27-year-old has yet to see three points for his new club after their home loss to Hull.
Former Stoke loanee Jaden Philogene maneuvered his way towards the right byline, then pulled back for the unmarked Connolly. Connolly’s scuffed right-footed finish deflected off Stoke defender Michael Rose’s leg, marking his fifth goal of the campaign.
Shortly after the restart, the Tigers launched an attack from the left. Connolly cut in and had a shot blocked, allowing Traore to confidently finish from 10 yards, securing his first goal of the season. Connolly also saw a header cleared off the line by home midfielder Daniel Johnson, who had earlier fired just wide for Stoke.
Hull seemed to have sealed the match when Slater’s speculative 25-yard left-footed shot ballooned off a defender and over Stoke keeper Mark Travers’ head for a fortunate goal in the 73rd minute. Four minutes later, Stoke’s top scorer Vidigal, back from injury and on for the early first-half hamstring victim Tyrese Campbell, provided some hope with his own fifth goal of the season. However, it ultimately proved to be mere consolation.
Gooch played the full 90 minutes, once again as the right wingback. He looked positive going forward but, once again, didn’t appear too comfortable in transition. According to FotMob, the former Sunderland academy boy lost the most duels in the match (8).
Notes
Haji Wright came on as a 70th minute substitute in Coventry’s 1-1 draw against Huddersfield Town on Monday.
Jonathan Tomkinson’s Bradford City was the only team with an American that won over the weekend, but the Norwich loanee did not feature in the squad. However, his new club have a midweek match on Tuesday against Middlesbrough and will hope to make the squad.
Charlie Kelman was an unused sub in QPR’s 1-1 draw against Birmingham.
Vaughn Covil once again not in the Hull City senior squad that defeated Gooch’s Stoke.
Josh Sargent and Daryl Dike are still recovering from their injuries.
