Daniel Ballard continued his sensational start to the Premier League season with a goal and an assist in Sunderland’s 2-2 draw against top-of-the-table Arsenal at the Stadium of Light on Saturday evening.
The 26-year-old, who in added time also bravely blocked a Mikel Merino shot to help earn the Black Cats a point, opened the scoring with a stunning drive just past the half-hour mark and then set up Brian Brobbey for a deserved equaliser in the closing moments of the game.
The Northern Ireland defender, who spent 15 years with the Gunners before his move to Sunderland in 2022, said: “It was a special game and a special goal in the first half. Goals feel great, but the block was probably more important in the end as it got us that point.
“I spent my whole childhood at Arsenal; they taught me everything, and they will always have a special place in my heart.”
Also on target over the weekend was former Dungannon Swifts and Glentoran player Terry Devlin, who hit his first goals of the season for Portsmouth, who eventually lost 3-2 at Hull City, their fourth defeat in their last five league outings.
“It’s pretty bittersweet to score my first goal in the Championship, then get another, but we don’t get the points,” Devlin told the club website.
“That was always going to be the most important thing and it means any personal achievements basically mean nothing. It’s obviously frustrating to come away from home, score two goals as a team and still end up losing the game.”
With the World Cup qualifiers against Slovakia and Luxembourg looming, Huddersfield Town striker Dion Charles is hitting form at just the right time after he followed up his brace in midweek with another goal and two assists in the Terriers’ 3-1 victory at home to bottom-of-the-table Plymouth Argyle.
Speaking to the Yorkshire Post, Town boss Lee Grant said. “Look, the goals for Dion have to be a relief in midweek, and perhaps we saw some of the fruits of that (on Saturday).
“The energy was first class with two assists as well. We have to really acknowledge the fact that there’s two important moments that he’s given us alongside the goal, of course.”
In fact it was a good weekend for Northern Ireland players getting on the scoresheet with Lee Bonis scoring for Chesterfield, Oisin Smyth hitting the target for Partick Thistle, Ronan Hale finding the net for his 11th of the campaign for Ross County and teenage loanee Callum Burnside hitting his first of the season for Alloa Athletic.
In the Championship former Newcastle United defender Jamal Lewis, who has joined Preston North End on a short-term contract until the end of the year, started his first game for the club in the 1-1 draw at Millwall.
Lewis, who was subbed after 58 minutes of the contest at the New Den, was given licence by North End boss Paul Heckingbottom to bomb forward and support the Lilywhites’ attacks.
“Yeah, we try and attack with those wing-backs, don't we?” Heckingbottom told the Lancashire Post. “But that's Jamal's game; he’s very athletic, he is a runner.
“And credit to him because we’ve not had him in the building long, but he’s shown a good level of fitness. But he was never going to be playing much longer than that.”
After missing the whole of the season so far with injury, Northern Ireland defender Laura Rafferty made her first appearance this term for Rangers Women after coming on as a substitute in the 3-0 Scottish Cup win over Partick Thistle on Sunday.
In the U21 Premier League Braiden Graham scored twice and Jack Patterson once as Everton easily defeated West Brom 3-0, while Callum Marshall was also on target as West Ham United recorded a 3-0 home win over Liverpool.
Finally, in the U18 Premier League, Scott Hamilton scored for Nottingham Forest, Luke Hawe for Southampton and Callum Leacock found the net for West Ham United in their 3-2 win over Crystal Palace.
