Northern Ireland striker Shayne Lavery scored his fourth goal of the season to help Cambridge United to a hard-fought 4-2 victory at home to Tranmere Rovers at the weekend.
The ex-Linfield player scored a thumping half-volley just seconds after entering the action as a 74th minute substitute. The win consolidated Cambridge's fourth place in League Two and continued their push for automatic promotion.
Also getting his name on the scoresheet at the weekend was on-loan winger Ross McCausland, who found the net midway through the first half of Aris Limassol’s 5-3 home defeat to Omonia in the Cypriot First Division.
Meanwhile, in the Premier League, Trai Hume was replaced at half-time after Sunderland trailed West Ham 3-0 at the London Stadium, although Dan Ballard played the full 90 minutes as the Hammers eventually ran out 3-1 winners.
Crystal Palace’s Justin Devenny was an unused sub as the Eagles went down 3-1 to Chelsea at Selhurst Park after having Adam Wharton red-carded with 18 minutes remaining.
In the Championship there was a first Oxford United start for Jamie McDonnell, who lined up alongside international colleagues Brodie Spencer and Ciaron Brown as the U’s earned a much-needed three points with a 2-1 victory at Leicester City.
There was, however, disappointment for a Northern Ireland trio of Preston North End players, Ali McCann, Jamal Lewis and Jordan Thompson, as they suffered a third straight league defeat with a 4-0 reverse at second-placed Middlesbrough.
Elsewhere midfielder Shea Charles came on as a second half substitute as Southampton held relegation-threatened Portsmouth, who had Terry Devlin in their starting line-up, to a 1-1 draw in the South Coast derby at Fratton Park.
In League One Conor Hazard kept his seventh clean sheet of the season as Plymouth Argyle continued their rise up the table with a third straight victory, while Bailey Peacock-Farrell also managed a seventh clean sheet of the campaign as Blackpool recorded a 2-0 home win over Northampton Town.
Former Under-21 international Euan Williams, now at Gillingham, made his first appearance of the season after recovering from a shoulder injury as the Gills won 3-0 away at Harrogate Town.
In Women's National League North winger Danielle Maxwell scored her third of the season as Burnley Women ran out 3-0 winners against Sporting Khalsa - it was their seventh straight league victory - and Laura Rafferty unfortunately scored an own goal as Rangers Women drew 1-1 against table toppers Glasgow City in the SWPL1.
Finally, Braiden Graham took his tally for Everton U21s to 10 this season after scoring in their 3-2 PL2 victory over Manchester City and Kieran Morrison was on target from the penalty spot late on in PL2 as Liverpool U21s defeated Leeds United 2-1.
