Northern Ireland U21 international Aodhan Doherty made his first team debut for Blackburn Rovers at the weekend as the Lancashire outfit were knocked out of the FA Cup on penalties by fellow Championship side Hull City.
The 19-year-old, who made 15 appearances for Linfield before moving to Ewood Park in 2024, impressed his manager after coming on as a second half substitute.
The game ended 0-0 after full time and extra time. Hull won the subsequent penalty shootout 4-3. Doherty showed great composure in converting his spot kick in the shootout.
“I’m proud of all the Academy players who played today,” Rovers boss Valerien Ismael told the club website. “We had two big chances right at the end with the cross from Aodhan to Yuri (Ribeiro) and the run from Aodhan as well. After that it’s the lottery of the penalty shootout.”
Doherty’s U21 international colleague Tom Atcheson, who is also only 19, played the full 120 minutes for Rovers.
Elsewhere in the competition Trai Hume and Daniel Ballard helped Sunderland make it to round four following their win on penalties at the Hill Dickenson Stadium against Everton, who again named 18-year-old Braiden Graham as a substitute.
After it was confirmed that Liverpool’s Conor Bradley is to miss the rest of the campaign with a knee injury, sustained in last week's Premier League game against Arsenal, there was further bad news for Michael O’Neill after both Pierce Charles and Jamie Donley picked up injuries in their respective FA Cup ties.
Sheffield Wednesday boss Henrik Pedersen reassured fans that Charles’ injury, sustained just after the hour mark, was to the opposite shoulder than the one which was damaged earlier in the season. That was an injury which kept him out for the opening four months of the campaign.
“It’s the opposite shoulder to the previous injury, and he has a lot of pain,” said Pedersen. “After a scan tomorrow we’ll know more."
Meanwhile, Spurs loanee Donley was making his debut for Oxford United in their FA Cup tie at MK Dons, but he lasted a mere 17 minutes before being stretchered off after a heavy fall.
United’s interim boss, Craig Short, told the Oxford Mail. “It looked nasty with Jamie… I’ve not found out what has gone on, but I think he has a bit of concussion. He had a shoulder injury as well as a rib injury, so it was tough to see that.”
The ever-improving Terry Devlin was Portsmouth’s man-of-the-match as the South Coast club fell to a 4-1 defeat at Fratton Park to Premier League leaders Arsenal, while Manchester City blasted 10 goals past League One Exeter City, who brought on veteran striker Josh Magennis at half-time.
“I think just coming away from the game, we didn't realise just how relentless they were,” said Magennis.
“Obviously you can see it on the television, but when it comes to playing them and getting up close and personal, they were very efficient in how they played today, and they didn't miss any of their chances.”
Former Glentoran youth Conor Haughey, who several Premier League and Championship clubs are apparently monitoring, started Fleetwood Town’s 1-0 FA Cup defeat at Port Vale, and Northern Ireland U21s midfielder Darren Robinson made his debut for Doncaster Rovers who exited the competition following a 3-2 home defeat to Southampton.
After nearly three months out with a hamstring complaint, JJ McKiernan celebrated his return to the Burton Albion side with a goal in their 5-0 win over non-league Boreham Wood.
Finally, Sean Corry was on target for Derby County in their 2-1 U18 Premier League victory over Nottingham Forest and Ceadach O’Neill fired home his 10th goal of the season for Arsenal’s youth team who lost 2-1 at Leicester City.
